The Light that Rules the Darkness
by Red Chucks
Summary: Howard had never shared much with Vince about his schooling and childhood but when a letter arrives inviting Howard to a reunion will he reveal the secrets of his past? And will the new and blossoming relationship between he and Vince survive a night surrounded by the demons of Howard's past, and more? (Ooh that sounds trashy. And there's a violence warning on this one too. I know)
1. Chapter 1

**Another story. This one got all dark and scary on me because I got to visit lots of old houses and castles last month. I hope you like it ok.**

**Oh, and I don't own the Mighty Boosh or any of their ideas or characters.**

* * *

Something was wrong. More specifically Howard had gone wrong, and Vince didn't like it. It had happened when the morning mail arrived. Usually there were bills for Naboo (which Howard sorted out) and fan mail for Vince. But this morning there'd been something different.

Vince had pounced on the letters the second they had fallen through the slot, flicking the bills at Howard's head (just to annoy him) as he walked toward the Nabootique counter and ripping into his own until, at the bottom of the pile, he'd noticed another letter, addressed to Howard, with a strange crest embossed in the corner.

"This one's for you, Howard," he'd said as he slid it carefully across the counter. Howard picked it up with equal care. No one wrote him letters. He'd sorted things out with student loans so it couldn't be them, and he had a restraining order against Old Gregg so he didn't receive dead fish in the mail any more; so who could it be from?

Vince had watched as Howard gingerly tore the envelope open and removed the single sheet of thick, expensive-looking paper. He'd waited patiently for twenty whole seconds before he'd tried to read the letter over Howard's shoulder.

"Get out of it, you nosey parker!"

"Well, what's it say then?" Vince whined.

"It's... nothing." Howard replied, his face pale and his hands shaking just enough to be noticed. He folded the letter away and pushed it into his back pocket, looking like some sort of Jazz zombie.

"But it can't be nothing, Howard! It was on fancy paper and all. And that crest thing looks familiar too. What's it all about? You been pissing off the gentry again?"

Vince smiled encouragingly but Howard wasn't buying.

"If you are in trouble, Howard, you should probably let me know, though, right? So can be supportive and shit. And 'cos when something happens to you it usually happens to me too. So I've got a right to know, don't I?"

"I'm not in trouble, Vince. It's just some bad news," Howard sighed but Vince wasn't about to let it go. He lunged for Howard's back pocket and the letter poking from the top of it. Howard yelped and tried to side step the attack but Vince had been known as 'The Shrew' for a reason and had his fingers in the bigger man's pocket within seconds. He wriggled his hand, trying to get a grip on the letter but Howard was twitching all over the place and nearly yanking Vince's arm out of its socket, trapped as it was in the corduroy prison of Howard's trousers.

_'Fine,' _Vince thought as a wicked grin spread across his face._ 'You want to make things difficult...'_ And without warning pinched the flesh under his trapped hand.

Howard's squawk was so loud it even made Vince jump but after a moment of extreme spasming he went completely still with a classic case of Howard Moon Chokes. Vince grabbed the letter and removed his fingers, smiling triumphantly at his victory. Realising that this opportunity was not to be missed he took a good long look at Howard's backside before freeing him from his Chokes with a firm smack on the bum.

"Vince!"

"What?"

Howard span around to glare at the younger man.

"You know what. You can't do that to a man."

"Do what, Howard?" Vince teased, cocking his hip and grinning up through his fringe, knowing that Howard wouldn't want to discuss the pinch or the smack.

"Vince..."

"Oh, come on, Howard," Vince whined adorably. "We've been going out for two whole months now! How can you still be so medieval about me touching you?"

"You're right, Vince. I'm the weird one," Howard conceded, rolling his eyes. "But you can't go stealing people's letters. That's a federal offence. You could go to prison."

"No I couldn't," Vince scoffed. "No judge would send me to prison. I'm too pretty."

Howard rolled his eyes again.

"Just give me back my letter please?"

"I don't think so," Vince scoffed as he backed away from Howard toward the stairs. "Not after the effort I put in to getting it off you in the first place."

Howard made no move to follow him so Vince eagerly unfolded the letter and began to read. After several long minutes of Vince sounding out words under his breath and scowling, Howard sighed and walked forward to snatch the letter back.

"It's from my school, Vince," he said tiredly. "They've invited me back for some sort of reunion."

"It said 'top pupils'."

"Yes, it did."

"It called you a member of the Old Aristocracy."

"Yes."

Vince scowled. Howard was worse at giving out information than a clam.

"What's a 'bygone'?"

"What?"

"A bygone," Vince huffed. "It said the letter they wanted to 'let bygones be bygones. What's it mean?"

"It means they want us all to forget the past and just move on and be friends," Howard told him through gritted teeth and Vince could see he was trying to keep calm.

"Well, that sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

Vince was confused now. Howard had never really talked about his schooling, and despite the stories they liked to spin about their upbringing together, he hadn't actually met Howard until he he'd been fourteen and wandering around the Zooniverse while skipping school. He didn't really understand how this was bad news and told Howard as much.

"You're right, little man," he replied, moving around the counter and slipping the offending letter inside a Dizzy Gillespie album cover, where Vince wouldn't dare to retrieve it from. He grinned manically and tried to look casual. "I just won't go. Simple as that. Put the kettle on for us, would you?"

Howard always looked tragic when he was trying to hide his emotions and Vince wanted so badly to give him a hug, even though he knew Howard would just stand there all stiff, waiting for it to be over. He put the kettle on, because tea always cheered Howard up a treat, but he also thought as hard as he was able to about what he could do to cheer Howard up _and_ find out why he didn't want to go to his reunion.

"Howard?" he asked as he approached the counter with their mugs of tea.

"Yes, Vince?" Howard sighed, looking out at the empty shop with a scowl.

"Why don't you want to go visit your school, Howard?"

"Because," replied Howard, running his hand down his face and making the skin stretch strangely as he did so. "It wasn't a nice place."

"What?" It was Vince's turn to squawk. "No way, Howard. I've seen your blazer, you gave it to me remember, when I was going through that posh phase. Your school uniform was well upper-class. Stands to reason your school was too. Mine didn't even care if you wore your whole uniform or not, as long as you had a bit of it on with your normal gear. I used to wear me tie, it was-"

"The school was very elite, yeah," Howard interrupted. "But that doesn't mean it was a nice place to be. It was horrible and I have no desire to go back there."

Vince felt bad now. He'd made a resolution to be nicer to Howard since they'd gotten together. He usually failed miserably but he was getting better at it. Eventually he reckoned Howard might be able to forgive him for being a twat for the whole year before they'd finally climbed back onto the roof to repeat the switch-flicking kiss.

"Did you get bullied, Howard?"

Howard glared so furiously Vince actually blanched.

"What do you think, Vince?"

"Well, I dunno-"

"I still get bullied now! At the age of thirty-three! By you!"

Vince bit his lip.

"Yeah... Sorry about that..."

"You-" Howard blinked. "You're sorry?"

Things had now become well uncomfortable and Vince couldn't look up at his boyfriend, for fear of the ridicule he would see.

"Yep. Sorry."

"Oh, sweetheart-"

"But I still reckon you should go to your reunion." Vince pushed on, though he didn't try to stop Howard as he put his arms around him. Giving hugs was good practice him.

"You know, to exercise your demons and stuff."

"Exercise? Do you mean exorcise, Vince?"

"Maybe. Could help."

"No. I really don't want to talk about demons, Vince, " Howard shuddered. "Besides, I left the school in disgrace. They said I was wasting my life."

"So, go back and show 'em that you're not."

_'That's actually not a bad plan,'_ Howard thought, until he caught sight of himself in one of the Nabootique's many mirrors.

"How exactly are we going to do that, Vince?"

"Just leave it to me," Vince grinned, looking up at his boyfriend with a glint in his eye that made Howard shiver with anticipation.

"_I_ have a plan!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two.**

**I still don't own the Boosh but I live in hope.**

* * *

"Romey and Michelle?"

"Yeah," Vince nodded enthusiastically. "Romey and Michelle. They didn't want to look like losers at their high school reunion so they made themselves over and went in there and were totally impressive."

Howard scowled. He remembered that film. Vince had made him watch it. Twice.

"But didn't their plan fail in the end?"

"What?"

Vince looked up from where he had been bent over Howard's chest of drawers, sorting through the various shades of brown. His hands were covered by a pair of brightly coloured washing-up gloves because, as Vince had pointed out: _"I don't want to catch The Bland."_

He was trying to find a decent outfit for Howard to wear to his school reunion but wasn't having much luck. He'd already made a large pile of clothes that needed to be introduced to Mr Bonfire, which Howard thought was a bit much, but he had to agree that there was very little in his collection of hawaiian shirts, cord slacks and roll necks, that would be appropriate for a fancy dinner at his old school.

"They don't fail, Howard! How dare you!"

"But they do, Vince," Howard argued. "Their lie gets busted and they discover that it's better just to be themselves. Fashion isn't the answer to everything, you know."

Vince gave him a withering look that made Howard shift uncomfortably where he sat on the bed.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. For your sake. How long 'til your reunion anyway?"

"One month," he mumbled, pouting a little but sure in the knowledge that his moustache hid it.

Vince sucked in his breath through his teeth, like a motor mechanic inspecting a dodgy radiator.

"I think we should be able to pull this off, Howard, but we're going to need to get you a whole new wardrobe on top of everything else."

Howard had never seen Vince look that put out by the prospect of a shopping trip but he was more concerned by the mention of Everything Else.

"What do you mean by everything else, Vince? Vince?"

"Calm down, small eyes," came the response. "It's all part of the plan, isn't it."

"And the plan is?"

"I already told you, Howard. Pay attention."

"You did?"

"Yeah, Romey and Michelle."

"Vince," Howard whined. "Just saying the name of that film is not a plan!"

"Fine," Vince stood, stretching his back and grinning back at Howard.

"We turn up in our best suits. Well, you'll be in a suit, I'll be in something stunning, obviously. We throw about that you're in the business of tracking down and selling rare antiques (which isn't a complete lie because Naboo's sent us off after some right weird stuff over the years), and we generally impress people. You get to show off having me on your arm, I did that ad campaign for Jaquettie so technically you're dating a model. We stick two fingers up at your old bullies, we take advantage of the free booze, we go home. Genuis!"

"You're..." Howard blinked rapidly. "You're coming with me?"

Vince strutted over to where Howard sat and knelt down in front of him.

"Of course I'm coming with you, Howard. If you want me to."

Howard bit his lip.

"You do want me to, don't you Howard?"

"I-"

"Howard?"

Vince was getting worried now. He and Howard were only just getting used to being honest and sincere with each other. It was much harder than joking and bickering but Vince knew it was worth it even if talking to Howard was sometimes like convincing an old lion that the tight perm was out of fashion and it was time to try something else.

"D'you not want me to come with you?"

"I-"

"Are you ashamed of me?"

"No!"

Vince pouted.

"Then why don't you want me to come with you?"

It was Howard's turn to pout but it soon slid from his face and was replaced by a look of genuine concern.

"I don't want them to be cruel to you, Vince."

"Oh, sweetheart."

Vince pressed his lips against Howard's and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face when Howard's hands crept tentatively to his hair. It had taken seven weeks to convince Howard that it was ok to touch his hair when they were kissing but his patience was paying off. He let the kiss continue for a minute and was satisfied when Howard unconsciously tried to follow his lips when he moved away.

"I can take on a few toffs, Howard," he whispered before moving his mouth around to nibble on his boyfriend's ear.

"But it's worse than that, Vince. It's dangerous-"

"I'm a cockney raggamuffin, there ain't nothing they can do to hurt me. And besides," his tongue flicked out to swipe the shell of Howard's ear and was delighted by the other man's shiver.

"I've gotta be there to make sure they aren't cruel to _you_."

And suddenly, Howard couldn't think of a good reason why Vince shouldn't come with him wherever he wanted to go, except...

"It's not an ordinary school, Vince."

"Was it a _'special'_ school?"

"Shut up," Howard snarked, burying his face into the side of Vince's neck. "No. It was just..." He didn't want to say, didn't want to tell Vince the truth if he didn't have to.

"There are a lot of secrets in that place."

Vince took Howard's face in his hands and locked his ever-startling blue eyes on his lover.

"There's nothing you can tell me or show me that's gonna scare me away from you, Howard Moon. I don't care about who you were when you were at school. I care about the man you are now. The man I love. I love you, Howard. You know that, right?"

The words hung in the air, sinking heavily as Howard sat, his hands still on Vince's waist, his mouth open, his mind reeling. He had told Vince that he loved him once, long ago, and been laughed at. He'd decided that it was better to never say it again than to say it and have his heart broken. And even though he knew Vince was sincere, even though now he _wanted_ to say it back, he couldn't. The words wouldn't come out.

Vince was waiting for him to say it back, and Howard hated the look that crept into his eyes when he realised that no declaration of love was coming. He moved away, standing up and crossing over to the door so quickly Howard couldn't even think of an excuse to make him stay.

"Where are you going?" he asked desperately. Vince shrugged, looking at the door.

"Shopping."

"I... I'm sorry, Vince."

"I know," Vince whispered, turning the nob and stepping out into the hallway. "But I mean what I said, Howard, and I'm still coming to your school with you."

He left quietly and Howard put his head in his hands. What was he going to do? Still, if the school council were ready to let the past go, maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Howard's school was possibly the strangest place that Vince had ever been. And that was saying something...

They had spent the month getting ready. Well, Vince had spent the month getting ready, and keeping Howard from giving himself Chinese burns. Howard had been surprisingly docile in allowing Vince to make him over and had even admitted that the result was pleasing, but Vince wondered if it was just another way Howard was trying to apologise. Vince had let it go, he was no good at keeping grudges or staying angry. Besides, he knew Howard loved him, even if he never said it out loud, and he was determined to show Howard that he was loved too. He looked him over, smiling shakily despite the anxiety he felt at the impending dinner party and the general strangeness of their surroundings. He could really use a hug about now.

Howard's hair was rakishly disheveled, stylishly so, and Vince had convinced him to trim his moustache short but let his stubble grow until the facial caterpillar blended in with its surroundings. He'd allowed him to wear a tweed blazer - that Vince had picked out - with a dress shirt, black chinos and untied bow tie around his neck. He'd sold it to Howard as the sexy Matt Smith look and Howard had been so impressed that Vince remembered anything from the Doctor Who marathon he'd forced upon him that he'd agreed without another thought. The retro Converse All Stars were a bit David Tennant but Vince didn't mind. Howard could work that look as well. He looked more like a poet than he ever had when he was trying to impress Mrs Gideon with his literary prowess and Vince could proudly say that his boyfriend/lover/partner/best mate/Howard looked good. He looked very good.

But the school... the school was another matter entirely.

Take their rooms for a start. What sort of school had a guest wing? Howard's school apparently, it was that posh, but it made Vince suspicious. The corridors were long and cold and inadequately lit. The staff were pale, and not in a cool way, in more of a living dead type way. The decor of their room appeared to have been the same since the late eleventh century (which seriously set off Vince's allergies). But the real problem, the real thing that was making Vince start to regret their coming here, was the ghosts.

_They'd been shown to their room by the head butler who hadn't spoken a word until Howard finally thought of a question after ten minutes._

_"I didn't see any students in the grounds, Mr Crevitt. Why is that?"_

_The butler had stopped and blinked slowly before responding._

_"Holiday?"_

_Howard had scowled and as they continued on he'd muttered to Vince,_

_"We never got holidays when I went here. One week a year to visit family and that was it. It's not even school holidays time, is it?"_

_Vince had shrugged and had tried not to stare. The butler was weird. His voice had sounded like gravel under car tyres and he smelt of the old broom cupboard at the Zooniverse. Vince had held tightly to Howard's hand, trying to seem confident and supportive, but when the butler turned to look at them with eyes sunk so deeply into his sallow face that they seemed like glowing sparks deep in his skull, Vince had very nearly wet himself._

_"I trust you and your lady wife will be very comfortable in the Matthew Hopkins suite, Viscount Moon-"_

_"Um," Vince interrupted. "I'm a man, actually."_

_The butler bowed before turning back to Howard._

_"I trust you and your Man-wife will be comfortable in the Matthew Hopkins suite, Viscount Moon. Oh, do mind the ghost."_

_Vince had turned in time to see a misty figure glide past them down the corridor. He'd felt unbearably cold in the wake of the shade, which looked vaguely like a malnourished young woman in medieval dress. She was very different to any ghost Vince had seen before (he'd seen one) and he had a sickening feeling that the girl's life - and death - hadn't been pleasant. _

_"Miss Caroline passes by here quite regularly, my Lord. I trust you recall the guidelines for dealing with the school ghosts and assorted phenomenon?"_

_"Quite," Howard had murmured huskily and Vince wondered exactly what the guidelines were._

_"Thank you, Crevitt. The key if you please. You have been most helpful."_

_The old butler had handed over the heavy brass key and departed with a bow, gliding down the corridor almost as much as Miss Caroline had. Howard had opened the door, lugged their cases inside and ushered Vince in before locking the door soundly behind them. _

_"I know you've got questions, Vince," he'd said in a much less steady voice once they were alone. _

_"But I've been driving for six hours and I need to have a shower and a quiet panic. On my own. Can it wait for half an hour?"_

_"How d'you know I-"_

_"You've got that look in your eye, like you've found out that there's a new way to keep your hair straight for longer and you won't rest until you find out the truth. Please?"_

_"But... ghosts, Howard!"_

_"Yeah, I know. Believe it or not, you do get used to it. But keep out of their way. Intercept a ghost and they stop being pale shadows in the night and turn into something out of 'Gremlins'."_

_Howard had leaned forward and given him a reassuring kiss and Vince had nodded. Four months in and Howard had finally decided he was comfortable with initiating the kissing. And he was better at it than any novice had a right to be. Vince agreed to wait._

_"Alright, Howard. But no self-harm, yeah? I'll be checking your arms for Chinese burns when you come out, mister." _

_Vince sighed. This wasn't going to be as simple as he'd imagined._

And now, here they were. Howard was dressed and ready and as the small clock on the mantle piece chimed six a rapping on the door announced that wine and light refreshment had arrived.

"Well," said Howard, trying to appear cheerful but only succeeding in looking a bit manic.

"Shall we talk things through now then?"

"But, but, ghosts, Howard! Ghosts! I mean-" Vince floundered for words as his voice cracked. It had been a long half hours wait after all.

"Ghosts!"

"I know, little man. I'm sorry for the shock."

He took Vince into his arms and called for the butler to enter. The table was set and laid quickly and within a minute they were alone again.

"Ghosts, Howard," Vince repeated, leaning back in Howard's arms and trying to convey his sense of unease through his eyes, which seemed to Howard to be even wider than usual.

"At your school. Why?"

"Don't worry, Vince," Howard soothed, leading him to his chair and tucking him in.

"All will be revealed."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you, castie67 for your comments and for getting excited about what's coming next. Here we go...**

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Vince said as he speared another artichoke heart with the specially designed artichoke fork he had been provided with.

"You, Howard Moon, went to a school which is not only ridiculously exclusive and old, but also haunted and susceptible to paranormal activity and magic?"

"Um... yes."

"And you learnt magic."

"Yes."

"And you went to this school because your dad was on the school council."

"Yes."

"Your dad, the Viscount."

"Um..."

"Your dad who died five years ago - which you didn't tell me about by the way - and left you as his sole inheritor."

"Um..."

"Which now means that _you_ are Viscount Moon."

"Um..."

"A viscount! Seriously?"

"Well..."

"And you didn't think I needed to know any of this stuff before we came out here? Hmm? _My Lord?_"

Vince was annoyed. Well, that was an understatement. His nerves were frayed and he was scared and it seemed that Howard had been hiding a lot more about his childhood from him than a few incidents of schoolyard bullying. He was downright angry.

Unfortunately Howard was looking at him with a hang dog expression that had been perfected over thirty-three long years of being dressed down and Vince just couldn't bring himself to yell. He sighed instead and even that was harsh enough to make his other half wince. Howard had issues.

"You've got issues, Howard."

Howard blinked in response.

"And I knew that. I just didn't realise how big and... weird the issues were."

"You still don't," Howard mumbled into his wine.

"Don't I?"

Howard was swallowing nervously so Vince gave up his righteously angry pose and reached his hand across the table to grasp his shaking hand.

"Howard?"

"Does this mean..." Howard took a deep breath. "Does this mean you don't want to be with me any more?"

"What?"

"Because I understand if you do. I mean don't. I mean..."

He didn't have to finish the sentence. Vince had already abandoned his chair and deposited himself in Howard's lap.

"I ain't leaving you, ya muppet!"

"But... but... my issues?"

"Everyone's got issues, Howard! I'm an illiterate orphan who gets mixed up between fantasy and reality. Your issues are just a bit more... Edgar Allen Poe than most. I mean, how can a place like this even exist?"

Howard let his arms creep around Vince's waist. He'd never questioned his upbringing, it was who he was. He came from a family of sorcerers, after all. He'd just done his best to block it from memory. Vince had helped with that, with his many and varied stories of their imagined childhood together and, he realised, Vince was still helping, by not running away in the face of his nightmares.

"It just does, Vince. It always has. And..."

"And?" Vince squirmed. "Howard, is there more?"

"Well. For as long as this school has existed, there's been a Moon in residence. It's our bound duty. I think that's part of why we're here."

"And that's bad, isn't it?"

Vince tried not to sound annoyed but he was starting to suspect that there was a lot more going on here than he'd been led to believe, even an hour ago.

"A bit bad, yeah."

"Christy, Howard. I thought maybe you'd been roughed up by snobby classmates and yelled at by your teachers, now it sounds more like thumb screws and demons from the fifth dimension."

"The thumbscrews were fairly unpleasant, but I was roughed up by my classmates too. They always thought I was too weak to make anything of my life."

Vince kissed the tip of Howard's nose and carefully rearranged his hair.

"Nothing wrong with being weak, small eyes, it makes you kind, and easy to love. You're a poet, remember. And don't stress about those nonces. We've still got our plan, yeah? We'll get through this."

Howard nodded, actually looking a little better before looking seriously into Vince's eyes.

"There is one more thing you should know right now, little man."

"Which is?"

Howard considered telling him the whole truth but, even knowing that Vince wouldn't run screaming, it was too frightening.

"Dinner starts in an hour."

"An hour! My hair!"

And as Vince ran madly for the bathroom Howard looked around their room and tried not to think about what might be coming his way in the next twenty-four hours. It didn't feel good to be back. He could taste the magic in the stones, a bitterness he almost didn't remember. Something wasn't right here. He shouldn't have come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Because the last chapter was short and this one is short I'm posting them both today. Enjoy.**

* * *

Vince looked stunning. Granted, to Howard, Vince always looked stunning but this was even more than usual. He exited the bedroom (having relegated Howard to the suite's sitting room so that his big reveal would have proper impact) and Howard felt his breath hitch. How did Vince always seem to dress to match his environment? Vince smiled shyly at Howard's reaction and did a slow turn.

"What d'ya think, Howard?"

Howard just shook his head. He had no words. Vince was wearing a black tunic that came down to his knees, artfully cut to show off his thin frame, with just a hint of sparkle in the fabric. Underneath Howard could see what appeared to be a silver, chain-mail patterned slip and Vince's legs were hidden within a pair of dark grey leggings, again with a hint of shimmer to them. On his feet were his silver boots and in his hair there appeared to be a scattering of silver stars linked by delicate chains. He looked like one of the Lady Knights of old that he had learnt about in his History of Warfare class and, as his Viscountess (so to speak), he was, in a way.

"I thought, seeing as we were going to an old, posh castle I'd go a bit medieval. Reckon I'll fit right in here."

"Yeah."

Vince grinned.

"And I did it all in under an hour which is, frankly, a godlike feat."

Howard stood and walked over slowly, offering his arm to his partner.

"Very impressive, little man. You look stunning."

The gong sounded somewhere in the depths of the castle, summoning them for dinner, and Vince took a steadying breath, straightening his already perfect hair with his palms.

"Any other secrets to tell me before we head downstairs, Lord Moon?"

He grinned up at Howard and Howard couldn't stop the small smile that spread across his lips in response to Vince's ever present optimism.

"Um... Possibly. Probably. Yes. But I don't know what I need to tell you and what will just be complicated and embarrassing. Can't I just tell you things as we go along?"

Vince sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever makes you happy, small eyes. But on your head be it."

"Fine. But we better get down there. Tardiness was never tolerated when I was a student here. The punishment for lateness to dinner was just no dinner but the punishment for lateness to classes was... More unpleasant."

Howard felt himself stiffen up as Vince leaned in and gave him a gentle hug, but he forced himself to relax into it. Vince was an expert hugger and Howard knew he'd be better off for the cuddle time before facing a dinner with his former tutors and school peers.

The sound of the second gong caused him to jump and he extricated himself from Vince with a small amount of awkward flailing.

"We'd really better get down there, little man," he said, straightening his jacket.

Vince smiled and put his hand through the crook of Howard's arm.

"Lead the way, Viscount. Let's go face your school day demons."


	6. Chapter 6

**Enter the villains...**

* * *

The halls were silent save for the occasional creek of a floorboard and despite his calm smile Vince was beginning to feel unnerved. They hadn't encountered any other people, which seemed odd for a school reunion, but every turn in the labyrinth of dimly lit corridors contained at least one ghost to avoid, usually two or three, and on one staircase, a group of distressingly empty eyed school children. He tried to keep his hand hold on Howard casual but after the ghost of a small girl with no hands drifted after them for a whole floor he was clutching at Howard's jacket with white knuckles.

"Are you alright, Vince?"

"What?!" He jumped, despite Howard's soft tone.

"You're just a bit tense is all. You're tugging m'tweed."

Vince grinned up sheepishly and released the jacket as gently as he could.

"Sorry, Howard. It's just... there are a lot of ghosts here and some of them are a bit, well, gruesome, aren't they?"

Howard nodded and placed a gentle kiss on his lover's forehead. It was strange to Vince that Howard found those kisses easier than hugs but he wasn't about to complain about it. It was sweet and sexy and really reassuring.

"It's alright, we're nearly there now. Just down the corridor and around that corner is the main staircase and then we'll be able to make a grand entrance and I can show you off to everyone."

Vince nodded but the smile slipped from his face when two more ghosts drifted through the wall ahead of them, no more than indistinct white shapes yet oozing malevolence somehow.

"But, Howard, how could anyone live surrounded by this many ghosts and ghoulies?"

"Well, in truth," Howard eased around the spectres and motioned for Vince to do the same.

"There do seem to be a lot more of them than I remember. And we're in the main part of the school now and I haven't seen a single person, which is weird."

"This whole place is weird."

Howard chuckled, but Vince had another question playing on his mind too.

"Howard," he said tentatively. "Are all these toffs going to be ok with, you know, us? Being a couple? And both being, well, men?"

Howard smiled.

"This lot have their own moral code. You're my partner so they'll probably refer to you as my wife and call you Viscountess regardless of your gender or the fact that we aren't actually married. Marriage was only ever a formality for the outside world. The important thing for our families was the bonding ceremony which..." he glanced over and saw Vince's lost expression. "Which we can talk about later. But our being a couple at least, won't be an issue."

"When you say, 'our families'?"

"The Old Aristocracy. Those who owned the land before the modern nobility. Everyone who's been to this school is a member of the Old Aristocracy."

"Your school just gets weirder and weirder," Vince told him before offering him a gentle kiss to show that he didn't mind that Howard's upbringing had been strange.

"We're here."

They had turned onto the main landing leading across to the grand central staircase and Vince was momentarily distracted by the beauty of the gothic chandelier but before he could comment on it Howard had pulled him to the floor behind the stair railing, swearing like a fisherman on Black Lake.

"Howard, what's the problem?"

"Oh God, we're going to die!" came the frantically whispered response.

"Snap out of it, Howard!" Vince squealed before Howard clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him further down.

"There's no time to explain, Vince, it's the Hooded Council. We just have to get out!"

"But, Howard-" Vince began to whisper but was cut off again, this time by the appearance of an ominous shadow above him. They looked up to see two hooded figures standing about them looking like a pair of evil monks.

"Please don't kill me," Howard cringed. "I've got so much to give."

Vince just settled for an, "Aw, fuck!" before they were both hauled to their feet and marched down the stairs to where half a dozen other hooded figures were standing in a semi circle.

One, with gold stitching around his black cuffs, stepped forward and as he did Vince saw Howard crumple in upon himself, shaking and crying and begging. Vince didn't know what was happening but he knew it was bad and that if he didn't do something now things could get a whole lot worse. He'd convinced Howard to come here to this stupid reunion and now it seemed it was all a set-up.

Theses people were hurting his Howard!

Ever since they'd met, Vince had been fiercely protective of Howard and couldn't bare to see him crumble when he was capable of so much more. No one was allowed to make Howard feel bad, let alone reduce him to tears! (Except Vince from time to time. But he always said sorry.)

He tried to go to his friend but hit a strange barrier of what he could only describe as thick air. Howard was shuddering and retching on the floor now and Vince felt tears building behind his eyes at his lover's obvious pain. The hooded figure had one pale hand outstretched toward him surrounded by a faint green glow and Vince recognised magic when he saw it. He made a beeline for the figure but before he could reach him another cloaked stranger stepped forward and sent a blast of purple light in his direction.

Vince was lifted from his feet and slammed down again onto the hard marble floor. He'd never felt anything so intense in his life and for several long moments he couldn't breathe or move. When Howard had said magic he'd honestly assumed he meant potions like Naboo made or card tricks even, but this was dark shit.

When he finally rolled onto his hands and knees the magical haze that had been around Howard was gone but he had been reduced to a whimpering mess. Vince had to save him, it was how their dynamic worked and he just couldn't bare to see the man he loved being so abused.

"Oi, you pricks," he gasped as he crawled forward. "Leave. Howard. Alone. Yeah?"

The one with the fancy stitching on his robe, who Vince figured was the leader, stepped toward him, a low and gravelly chuckle escaping the darkness of his cowl,

"Do not fear, little Viscountess, we were not harming your precious Lord, simply reminding him of all that he had once been trained in. The sorcerer he was raised to be. We have a little task for your Howard, and you are going to be most useful in ensuring he completes it."

Deep within the darkness of his hood Vince thought he could see the glint of a sinister smile before the skeletal hand was raised at his face.

"No!" Vince cried, scrambling back but finding himself blocked by more members of the Hooded Council. The hand emitted a harsh purple glow and Vince shut his eyes tight as the unnatural flame hit his forehead and sent him spiraling into unconsciousness.

The head of the council straightened and dispelled the last of the dark fire from his fingers with a shake of his wrist.

"Take this one to the dungeon," he ordered. "Strip him and search him and chain him to the Fire Plate."

At his word two council members hurried forward to drag Vince's lifeless body away.

"As for Lord Moon, such as he is, take him to the labyrinth. We must prepare him to face the minions of the Great Darkness else the doors be opened completely and all our lives lost."

There was a murmur of agreement before Howard's own limp body was carried - with more care than Vince's had been - from the hall and down beneath the ancient school to face a fate worse than even his school day nightmares.


	7. Chapter 7

**And this is where it starts to get very dark, I think. Reader be warned and sorry in advance.**

* * *

Howard returned to consciousness with a jolt, the fog in his brain giving way to dread remembrance. He'd worked so hard to repress the magic within himself, to build mental walls around his sorcery training, but it hadn't taken the Hooded Council long to feed those memories back to him, to force the lessons back into his mind along with the tortures of his school days.

Childhood for Howard had been full of rites, rituals and strange ceremonies. There had been lessons in magic and dark arts and spells but it hadn't been at all like the stories he'd read since he left. Mortals thought magic was fun and exciting. Howard knew it was terrifying. His tutors had been adept at exacting perfection from their pupils by any means necessary and too many of Howard's peers had enjoyed their training in the dark magic far too much for his liking. They had practiced on him and now, thanks to the council's magic, he could remember it as clearly as if it had just happened.

He knew they never should have come here, not after he'd refused to work for the school council after graduation, after he'd run away. And now he'd been captured by the Hooded Council, the ultimate threat to misbehaving school children and slack servants alike.

The Hooded Council tested new spells and kept the flow of dark power steady and usable. They were said to take students deep beneath the school as guinea pigs for magical experiments and, when necessary, use them as buffers against the Great Darkness itself. Howard had always feared the Hooded Council and now they had him. He knew they shouldn't have come here.

Howard sat up suddenly, his head spinning sickeningly.

"Vince!"

The Hooded Council had Vince.

"Your man-wife is safe for now."

The voice was distant and seemed to be coming from under water and Howard looked down to see a crystal ball about the size of an apple at his feet with an image of the Hooded Council projected within. He scooped it up, staring hard at the image. The figures seemed to be standing in one of the dungeons but there was no sign of Vince.

"What do you want from me?"

He tried to speak with a strong, man of action voice but it came out as a croak and the crystal ball was shaking in his hands.

"It is simple enough, Lord Moon," the head of the council replied with the authority of a senior sorcerer.

"Some doors have been opened, quite absentmindedly, and they need to be closed. Three doors to be precise. They are within the labyrinth in front of you. Close the doors - and take care of any creatures you encounter - and you will be free to go. As will the Viscountess. If you fail, however, you will be left to the mercy of the labyrinth. If you balk at any of the trials you will face... the Viscountess shall feel the wrath of the Dark Fire."

"What? No, you wouldn't do that. Not to a non-magical mortal, it'll destroy him. You can't make me do this."

The sandpaper chuckle Howard heard from the leader of the hooded figures made him tremble but he still tried to look stern. Power was all these people responded to, he knew from experience.

The hooded men parted, stepping back from their own magical device (a magic mirror he supposed), to reveal a sight that made the trembling return with a force that could not be disguised. Howard felt sick. He'd never actually seen a Fire Plate but his final year text book: 'Guide to Successful Torture' had featured detailed diagrams and a How To guide. The poor soul in the centre of the device was chained, spread-eagled, to a metal plate the size of a bicycle wheel. It was reclined on a slight angle so that the chest was supported but the limbs were left to dangle in space, connected wrist and ankle, to the chains in the floor. It looked even more uncomfortable in reality than in the sketches in the book.

The person in the centre of the device had been stripped down to their silver pants, was sporting several large bruises and looked barely conscious. The person was Vince.

"You wouldn't."

It was barely a whisper but the council heard it.

"Wouldn't we?"

Howard didn't want to watch as a long white finger stretched out and pressed the button to power the device. He only held it down for four seconds but to Howard it felt like a year. Vince screamed as the Dark Fire overtook him and Howard could see the other man's bruised ribs too clearly in the purple glow as he writhed on the metal plate. When it was over the only sound that pierced the silence was the sound of sobbing and Howard couldn't bare to raise his eyes to his lover's face.

"Fine," he sighed, climbing wearily to his feet and holding up the crystal ball. "I'll do what you want. Just don't hurt Vince."

"You are not in a position to make demands. Simply do what you were born to do, Howard Moon, and no harm shall befall the mortal."

Howard looked behind him. A blank wall, no way out. He began to trudge down the black stone corridor. Do what he was born to do? What had he been born to do?


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry again. That's all.**

* * *

Howard had always assumed, in the back of his mind, that he had been born to run away.

Vince at the age of sixteen had told him:

"Some people are just natural born cowards, Howard, nothing wrong with that. It's self preservation. Who'd want to be like Joey Moose's weird friends anyway?"

It had been an attempt by Vince to make him feel better but Howard had responded by cuffing him around the back of the head. He regretted that now that they were a couple. He regretted a lot of things. Right now he regretted not telling Vince that he'd gone to a school of sorcery and dark arts, and he regretted letting Vince talk him into bringing them both back here.

The tunnel he was following was grimy and coated with a sooty substance that made Howard's skin crawl. He could feel magic pulsing thickly in the walls and as he travelled along it grew stronger. He came to a divergence, where the tunnel split into three. He could go left, right or straight ahead. To his left the magic felt strong; he could taste it like smoke in the air, choking and burning. Straight ahead there was still a tang of magic but it was fainter, less threatening. The right path had only a trace but strangely felt darker and more sinister.

None of his options seemed like it would lead him away from danger and he was supposed to choose the left one, he guessed, but the reek of dark magic made him want to gag after so many years with only the light (if musty) smell of Shaman magic.

Howard sat down heavily. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to choose and he didn't want to face whatever was at the source of the sickening tang of magic. But as the tears threatened the crystal ball began to throb in his hand. He held it in front of him and the head of the Hooded Council swam into focus but before the man could speak Howard heard a voice that made his heart soar with hope.

"Where the fuck are my clothes?! That tunic needs to be hung up, yeah. Don't give me that look you hessian sack wearing freak! Ain't you ever heard of silk? Or cotton? Or even a nice bright nylon? Now: where. Are. My. Clothes?!"

Vince sounded indignant and strong and it gave Howard strength to face his hooded oppressors.

"Giving up so soon, Lord Moon?"

"I don't want to do this."

"You will do this, Howard Moon!" You will do this or you will- Can someone shut him up for five seconds while I threaten the Viscount!"

The leader yelled over his shoulder at the other members of the council as Vince was still railing against his gaoler about his lack of clothes. In the background Howard heard a crackling buzz and a shriek and felt his own anger rise again.

"Stop it! I told you not to hurt him."

"The quicker you close the doors, the sooner he will be released. His well being is entirely in your hands."

"But I can't-"

The crystal ball suddenly crackled with electricity and Howard only just kept from dropping it.

"You can and you will," the voice hissed through the magic portal.

"On the wall beside you are a selection of weapons and three keys. Take the smallest and follow the corridor to the first door. Do not be a coward, Howard Moon. You know what will happen if you delay."

The hooded leader stepped away from the mirror to once again show Howard the Fire Plate and Vince strapped against it.

"No, no. You don't have to-"

Howard tried to yell but even as he spoke one of the hooded figures stepped forward and pressed the button. Vince shrieked before clenching his teeth against the pain but even so Howard could see it written plainly across his lover's face. Again the button stayed down for only four seconds but once again it felt like an age.

When the abuse ended the crystal went dark and Howard knew he had to turn left. He looked up at the wall and the rusting spears and swords hanging there. He'd never liked swords, but a spear, now that was a multi purpose weapon. He hefted one down and felt the weight. It would have to do. He gingerly took the smallest of the three keys from it's hook and pocketed it, along with the crystal ball.

And then there was nothing left to do but walk, as fast as he dared in the semi dark, down the left tunnel. He had to do this. He couldn't let them hurt Vince again. After all, as Vince had pointed out, it was on his head for keeping secrets. He had to make this right.


	9. Chapter 9

Vince watched through a haze of pain as Howard edged down the dark tunnel. He knew Howard was scared and was so proud of him for continuing. He hated that the Hooded Council, whoever they really were, were lying to him though. They had said that Vince would be punished if Howard balked at his tasks, but since Howard had put the crystal ball away they had each had a go at pressing the button and sending the purple flames up the chains and through his body.

Everything hurt, like being held down in a boiling hot bath, and they had only stopped when the magic mirror showed them that Howard was approaching a room and the first of the mysterious doors. They were crowded around the mirror like children around a TV screen but Vince could still see what was happening. The room that Howard entered was round and lined with black tiles that shone greasily. Opposite the tunnel entrance stood the door, made of oak so old it had long ago turned silver. Coming through the doorway was thick, choking mist.

"Oh, God," Howard whispered and Vince bit his lip.

_'Come on Howard,'_ he thought desperately. _'I love you, you can do this.'_

Howard edged toward the open door and stretched out his hand to shut it but before he could another hand clutched it from within. It was large and hairy and desperately in need of a manicure and the Hooded Council gasped as one as the hand gripped the door firmly and something terrible pulled itself through and into the room.

Howard screamed, the creature grunted and stumbled, and Howard ran back toward the tunnel only to trip over his spear in the process. He hit the black cobbles with a thud and turned around to see the hairy beast loping toward him hungrily.

Despite his own terror Vince couldn't help but think that the monster looked an awful lot like a yeti, except that where the yetis had possessed a fairy tale quality that dampened their menace, the beast fast approaching Howard seemed to have been put together in the dark from spare yeti parts and was much more of a nightmare creature than a fairy tale one. Its arms hung low and its strange carved face looked melted and misshapen.

Howard tried to stand but tripped again and fell badly. Vince hissed. Howard didn't like people to know that he was prone to sprained wrists but Vince had strapped enough to know just how often they happened, and just how much they hurt. He'd bet money that that was what his lover had just done.

Howard held the injured arm close to his chest and swung the spear with the other. The creature responded by grabbing the weapon in both hands and bending it until it resembled a rusty hulla hoop before tossing it aside.

"I am the Harbinger of Doom," it spoke with a deep baritone as it pulled Howard up and dangled him in the air like a mouse caught by a cat.

"I come to announce the impending arrival of the Great Darkness and to make an end of any champion sent by the puny creatures of this world. Are you the champion?"

Howard had started crying again but Vince didn't blame him.

"Are you the champion?" the thing yelled louder and Howard began to nod frantically.

"I... I suppose so," he stuttered. "I'm... I'm Howard... Howard Moon."

The monster went still, eyeing off its opponent with a new wariness. It lifted Howard towards its nose and took a tentative sniff before dropping him and backing up a few steps. Howard scrambled to his feet, finding new courage in the beast's strange fear.

"That's right. I'm Howard Moon and I'm going to... um..."

_'Aw, shit,'_ thought Vince. He had been doing so well. Trust Howard to lose his confidence at a crucial moment.

_'Come on, Howard. Come on, Howard. You can do this. You can do this!'_

"I can do this!"

Howard suddenly spoke and Vince blinked. He'd always had a secret belief that he and Howard shared a psychic bond, even if he'd never dared to tell Howard about it. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough...

_'He's just a jumped up yeti, Howard. What are yetis afraid of? Think. Think!'_

In the black stone room the creature was still wary but starting to advance again. This time Howard was ready.

"I'm not the hero, actually," he told the thing with barely a wobble in his voice. "I'm actually the welcoming committee. Would you like some... cake?"

The creature stumbled to a stop, the glow of its eyes giving off a confused vibe.

"Harbingers of Doom are not partial to... cake."

"Oh really?" Howard asked more confidently. "How about some malt loaf then?"

The thing snorted and shook its head, taking a few steps back. It was now closer to the oak door than the tunnel and Vince couldn't help grinning. This was the real Howard Moon in action.

"Was that a 'no', big fella? I couldn't tell," he asked jovially, bouncing on his toes. "Because I have a whole lot of malt loaf for you. And date loaf and fruit loaf-"

"No! Not the fruit loaf!"

The creature clutched it's hairy ears and stumbled unsteadily toward the door, wading through the thick mist while Howard followed after him, listing the many kinds of loaf just waiting for the beast upstairs.

"Oh, mountains of fruit loaf. Raisin loaf, apricot loaf, cinnamon loaf, and a really nifty one made with almond meal."

As the beast reached the door Howard rushed forward and pushed it through, slamming the door shut with all his might and leaning against it for good measure. Behind the door he heard the beast scream and a roar of flames before silence flowed back in. With shaking hands he retrieved the key from his pocket and put it in the lock.

The lock was stiff, as if the darkness behind the door was still fighting him, but Howard wasn't about to be beaten by a small mechanism after defeating a yeti monster.

"I don't think so," he mumbled through his grimace. "I am Howard TJ Moon and I am locking you down. You are never coming unlocked again, you hear me? Never."

The lock whined, almost as if it were in pain, before finally clunking into place. As it did so a bright light appeared, outlining the lock, before swooping inside.

Howard slid down the door to the floor, finally letting his body relax. His heart was beating fit to burst and he'd started shaking again. He wanted a drink, or to sleep for a week. But what he really wanted was Vince.

Vince watched Howard's shoulders heave and really wanted to give him a cuddle. He'd done so well but Vince wished he'd never had to go through it, not for these kidnapping, cowl wearing jerks. He watched wearily as the head of the council waved a bone white hand in front of the mirror, activating the communicator. The view changed from a bird's eye view to the crystal ball that Howard was now pulling out of his pocket. His face filled the mirror, distorted by the crystal, and Vince desperately wanted to run and give him a thorough snog, but the tight manacles reminded him that he wasn't going anywhere.

At least they might lay off the pain for a while. He hoped.


	10. Chapter 10

**Poor Howard.**

* * *

Part of Howard's brain had been expecting praise, but he didn't know why. He'd never been praised at school, especially when he'd overcome a problem without resorting to magic. Still, he was half hoping to be told that he'd done well, that the test was over and he was free to go.

He was sorely mistaken.

"Get up, Moon," the grey voice snapped through the crystal ball.

"But I just defeated that yeti thing!"

"And even now the other two doors are opening and releasing beings more terrible and dangerous. Get up."

Howard groaned to his feet, careful not to use his left wrist. He left the ruined spear on the floor and headed back down the black corridor, staring down at the ball and stumbling as he went.

"Why do you stumble, Lord Moon?"

"I'm tired and it's dark," he responded testily. "Hadn't you noticed?"

The hooded figures laughed drily in response.

"You are a sorcerer," one said.

"A sorcerer does not stumble in the dark," said another. "He owns the darkness and sends it fleeing before him."

Howard sighed.

"I always hated those stupid sayings. Why'd you need to talk in riddles?"

"It's hardly a riddle, Howard Moon," the head of the council sneered. "You are a sorcerer, born and bred. Summon your powers and create a light for yourself."

"No."

Howard knew it was mostly just stubbornness. The tunnels were fairly dark, with only occasional ever-burning torches in dirty wall sconces. He could summon a light but he didn't want to. He hadn't used magic for over fifteen years. Even when he was in mild to moderate peril (which was about once a month) he had always found a way out, even if it meant relying on Naboo's magic instead. Using it now just seemed like another way he was giving in to this place.

"No," he repeated, tripping over a broken cobble as he did so.

"Ever the fool, Moon," the hooded figure murmured. "But your powers may be necessary. You cannot expect to close the other two doors with luck and wit alone."

There was some truth to that but Howard didn't want to give in. Vince was in that dungeon with them and they were watching his every move, he could sense it. If he used magic Vince might see and Howard didn't want to see the disappointment in the other man's eyes that such a huge secret had been kept from him for so long.

"I can't."

"Oh, I see," the voice sneered, echoing and bouncing off the dark walls.

"You do not wish your man-wife to know. You have not told him who you really are. That is quite remiss of you, Lord Moon, to bond yourself to a person - and a mortal too - without revealing your true nature. I almost feel sorry for your foul mouthed little Viscountess."

"I haven't-"

Howard wanted to argue but knew he couldn't. He and Vince were bonded, their lives entwined thoroughly, completely. Even if Howard hadn't had the courage to confess his love in words since they'd started their relationship. Even if the ancient family ceremony hadn't been performed. They were bonded and Howard had kept his true nature from his soul mate.

"Where's Vince?" he whispered, stopping where he was and leaning against the soot-stained wall.

"Use your magic, Viscount, and you shall see him."

"No," murmured Howard, feeling suddenly lethargic.

"Then here is your mortal."

The hooded men parted to reveal the same tragic sight of Vince beaten and shackled but this time awake and staring right at the mirror.

"Don't let them bully you, Howard," he yelled as the council descended to the Fire Plate.

"I don't care what you used to be or what they tried to make you. D'you care that I was a pick pocketing foster kid? I care about the man you are now and the man you're trying to be. That's all that matters. I lo- No!"

The last word was screamed at the leader of the council who had reached the dreaded button.

"No! No, please, no? I can't. I-"

But Vince's pleas were ignored and Howard made himself watch again as the Dark Fire forced its way into Vince's body, this time for six agonising seconds.

When it stopped, Vince took a shuddering breath before swearing his tits off at his attackers. He was cut off when the button was held down for another count of six. This time Vince didn't try to speak. Howard watched him hang limp in his chains, chest heaving but awake. The Hooded Council turned as one to face him and Howard knew with a sinking feeling that he would fold. He wasn't as strong as Vince. All he could do was disappoint.

"Summon your powers, Howard Moon. Take the second key and close the middle door. Do it now."


	11. Chapter 11

**Trial continues, and I feel kinda mean for what's happening to my two favourite boys. Don't worry, castie67, I only do happy endings, there are a few more sad bits to come but this chapter's a nice one for you.**

* * *

Vince was floating. He knew that really he was chained to that horrible metal thing with his skinny body on show, slipping in and out of lucidity, but it was much more fun to float and forget for a little while what was happening. Instead he thought of Howard, how they'd met, how they'd eventually got together.

Vince had worshipped Howard. He'd made jokes and showed off and acted like a tit so Howard wouldn't know just how big the crush was that Vince had on him. He'd loved everything about Howard, except for the jazz. He'd loved how awkward he was, how he didn't seem to understand how the real world worked or know the rules for interacting with other people. Knowing now what he did about his lover's past Vince could see that Howard really hadn't understood how the world was supposed to work. A normal person wouldn't have befriended a fourteen-year-old boy like Vince and offered him a job only six months later. Yep, Vince had worshipped Howard at the zoo.

The worship didn't last though, and neither did the crush. He'd gotten sick of being rejected. Howard wouldn't even hug him. Things went sour until Howard finally left. Vince had cried but it had been a good thing, Howard leaving. It had given them each a chance to reassess and decide whether the friendship was worth saving. Things had gotten better when Howard came back and Vince had felt the old feelings returning, stronger than before, until finally, at Howard's next birthday, Vince had followed him up to the roof.

_"Whatcha doing up here, Howard?" Vince asked, poking his head up through the open sky light. _

_"Thinking."_

_"Oh, Howard. You shouldn't be doing something as heavy and boring as thinking. It's your birthday. You should be celebrating."_

_Vince grinned cheekily as he scrambled up to sit beside Howard, bumping shoulders with him companionably. Howard didn't smile back._

_"Celebrate what exactly? I set out to become a great actor and what have I achieved? Nothing."_

_"Well, those royalty cheques from that crab advert have been pretty sweet," Vince joked but Howard just scowled._

_"Sorry Howard. I know you haven't had the best year. Or two years. But on the positive side, we're friends again. That's got to be worth something, right?"_

_Howard gave him a strange look and Vince could feel himself beginning to blush._

_"But we've always been friends, Vince."_

_"Yeah, but we'd started to go a bit wrong, hadn't we? And now it feels like it's going right again."_

_"I suppose you're right," Howard murmured after a pause. "It's nice to be close to you."_

_"Yeah," Vince said slowly, edging his hand towards Howard's until their fingers were touching._

_"Do you ever feel like, maybe, we're meant to be closer?"_

_Howard went very still but he didn't move away and when he finally spoke he didn't seem angry or disgusted._

_"Closer how, Vince?"_

_"Aw, come on, small eyes, don't make me go all gushy and romantic. I really fancy you. I did when I was younger and I do now. You were right when you said there was sexual tension between us and I think, maybe, it's worth exploring... don't you?"_

_Howard didn't say anything out loud but Vince felt his body relax a little and then his hand slowly slid up until Vince's hand was being held tight. They turned to face one another and Vince watched, entranced, as Howard licked his lips._

_"I want..." Vince stammered. "I want to be your boyfriend, Howard. I want to be your lover. I don't want you to go away again and and I don't want us to be mean to each other all the time."_

_Howard nodded and licked his lips again._

_"I want that too," he said huskily. "I've wanted that for so long."_

_Slowly, and with the greatest care Vince leaned in and kissed Howard. He pressed his lips delicately against Howard's and closed his eyes, letting the love and affection he felt flow through to the other man._

_Eventually they parted but only to draw breath and this time Vince left gentle, lingering kisses along Howard's jaw and neck until he was shivering with sensation. _

_"Don't ever go away again, Howard," he'd whispered hotly into his best friend's ear. "Take me with you next time. I'd go with you anywhere."_

Vince blinked and repressed a groan as he remembered where he was. His body hurt but he was determined to get through this. Thinking of Howard was giving him some extra strength and he reached out to Howard, even though he knew his lover couldn't really hear or feel him. Even so, he tried to do what he had done the first time he'd kissed Howard and meant it, and sent all the love and reassurance and joy that he could in Howard's direction.

_'Come on, Howard,'_ he thought, taking some steadying breaths. _'You can do this. I love you.'_


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter's a bit gross, and long. My apologies.**

**And thank you for the lovely comments!**

* * *

Howard had pocketed the second key and taken another spear from the wall, hoping he'd have more luck with it than with the first. He'd also summoned his powers, closing his eyes and drawing on the magic that had soaked into the stones over centuries of magical education. It had been so long since he'd done it that he was nearly overwhelmed and spent a few uncomfortable minutes gagging before he became accustomed to the oily feel of the dark power inside him.

He created a ball of light with great reluctance, hoping that Vince wasn't watching. The light was weak and wavering due to lack of practice, but it was good enough to see by and so Howard had trudged through the endless winding tunnel feeling his senses become dirtied by the power spilling from the door ahead.

The second corridor had been longer than the first and several times Howard had been faced with collapsed walls and huge holes in the cobble stones. He hated heights, or depths to be more precise, and when he'd faced the first big drop he'd had a serious case of the chokes. The council had forced him out of it by taking the opportunity to punish Vince, an action they repeated every time Howard faltered or slowed down or contemplated turning back. Each punishment was longer than the last, from six seconds to eight to ten to twelve. Several times Howard couldn't even tell if Vince was still conscious at the end of it or not but his lover's words would always repeat in his head:_ 'I care about the man you are now. The man I love. I love you, Howard. You know that, right?'_

Howard knew that Vince loved him. He'd said it and he hadn't been shy about showing his love either and Howard liked being on the receiving end of all that affection. More than that though, Vince had stuck around and continued to love him even when Howard had failed to say it back. That was real love, he thought.

Howard kept going on the damned quest not just to stop the Fire Plate and win his own freedom but so that he could finally tell Vince just how loved he was. So that he could lavish affection on his best friend and lover. So he could propose and make Vince his Viscountess in reality. Well, maybe.

He walked for what he guessed was about an hour before he reached the room at the end of the tunnel. It was bigger than the first one, with a smattering of ever-burning torches in crumbling wall sconces, and the door in the far wall was bigger too. And open.

It took Howard a few seconds to realise that the dark shadow oozing from the doorway was not mist but a multitude of black, undulating slugs. The tide of gastropods was several layers deep and made a slapping, slurping sucking noise as it advanced into the room. Howard shuddered. He'd rather have faced more yetis than a paddling pool of slugs. He edged closer, wondering what he could do, when suddenly the sea of slithering bodies surged forward, covering his feet and swarming up his legs. He squealed but it soon became a scream as the creatures latched on to any bare skin they could find with mouths full of tiny, razor sharp teeth. Not slugs then, he realised. Leeches. Possessed leeches.

He tried to shake them off, to free himself from the swarm of black, slimy bodies, but no matter how he moved he couldn't get free. Just as he was beginning to panic the door opened fully and a misshapen shadow emerged.

It was basically all mouth. Howard couldn't see eyes or limbs. This wasn't a creature he could reason with or trick with words. It was just a massive leech: blood lust without a brain. What was he going to do?

He looked around the room but there was nothing to save him there. He swung the spear and sent leeches flying across the room. It still wasn't enough. They swarmed up his body, seeking to lock him into place but he struggled as much as he could. He would have to use magic, any magic, to get the things off and run away but that wouldn't shut the door, would it. And who knew what sort of powers that thing possessed.

It was all too much. Howard felt the tears welling and didn't try to stop them. He'd rather that Vince saw him cry than see him use magic. The tears fell thick and fast as he thought of Vince. He was going to be eaten by a giant leech and was never going to see his best friend again. He was never going to have the opportunity to tell him he loved him, as a friend, as a lover, as everything. And he didn't know what would become of Vince either. If Howard died would they bother to keep Vince alive? Or would he end his life in pain and misery, just another unknown victim of the Hooded Council?

Howard sobbed loudly but stopped when he realised that there was a new sound in the room. Over the squelching of the leeches was a strange hissing like drops of water on a hot stove top and as he looked down he realised that such a description was quite accurate. As his tears hit the leeches they appeared to burn. They smoked and shriveled and dropped away. And they were falling fast. Howard tried to keep crying but it was difficult now that he was thinking about it. He tried remembering every thing that had gone wrong in his life: every birthday spent alone, his mother's long illness, every year he'd spent pining after Vince, watching him parade around with a different girl or boy each week. The tears were falling but there weren't enough. Howard realised, with a sickening feeling, that he would have to use magic.

He thrust his hands out in front of him, pointing at the beast and tried to use his most powerful voice.

"You can't have me. You can't kill me."

The creature only opened its jaw wider, its grotesque black-pudding body slithering closer, so Howard took a deep breath and summoned the power he needed.

"I am Howard Moon, and I've got _so_ much to give. And right now I'm giving you every sad and frightened moment of my life! Take that you overgrown piece of Dutch licorice!"

He thrust his hands forward again and a gush of salty water poured forth, drenching the giant leech and its blood thirsty children. Howard kept his hands steady until all of the parasites were dead, reduced to a smoking mess of sludge on the stone floor. He waded through the mess, trying not to gag, and pushed the door firmly shut. Again the lock resisted his first attempts at turning the key until suddenly a thought occurred to him.

"I am Howard TJ Moon," he told the lock, "and I am shutting you down. You are never coming unlocked again, d'you hear me?"

The same golden glow appeared and the key turned with a hiss. Howard let out a shuddering breath and stumbled away from the room, leaning heavily on his spear. The leeches had been vicious and his legs were weak and bleeding. Looking down at the ruins of his trousers he grimaced in distaste. Vince had bought them, and the rest of the outfit, as a gift the day Howard had failed to say 'I love you' and now they were well and truly ruined. Vince wouldn't be happy. Vince!

He pulled the crystal ball quickly from his pocket and a moment later the hoods of the council came into focus, but it wasn't their voices he heard first.

"Howard you genius! I am so proud of you right now I could kiss you! Leech stained clothes and all!"

"Someone shut him up!"

Howard smiled deliriously. Vince was ok and no one had been eaten. Things were looking up. Until he heard the distressingly familiar crackle of the Fire Plate. It only lasted a moment and when the hooded figures peeled back to show him his lover Vince looked tired but defiant. He nodded to Howard, telling him something, though Howard didn't know what.

"Get going, Moon," the head of the council rasped and eventually Howard began to trudge forward. None of this was fair, he thought hazily. He shouldn't have to deal with this. He was an ex-sorcerer for Christy's sake. Just a man who wanted a normal life with the man he loved. He'd had enough, but he kept moving all the same, back to the divergence. He pocketed the last key and set off along the final tunnel, his only thought of Vince. He was unaware that even as he grew more weary the light he had made was growing ever stronger and brighter as it bobbed along behind him like a ball of pure sunshine.


	13. Chapter 13

"That's it!" Vince yelled, trying to stamp his foot in frustration and screeching when he remembered he couldn't touch the ground. Howard looked beaten and tired and a niggling voice in his head told him it was all his fault for convincing him to come back here. The brighter voice in his head (the secretary) reminded him that it was probably better to blame the black-robed berks.

"I've had enough of this. You can't treat _my_ Howard this way, it's just cruel. Leave him the fuck alone, yeah!"

The council turned slowly towards him in what was supposed to be an intimidating manner, except that Vince was long past caring.

"Don't stare at me like a bunch of deathly specter wannabes, you nonces! Let Howard go!"

He rattled the chains for good measure and wondered how people with their faces completely hidden could still manage to convey confusion.

"You do realise that it is you we are torturing, do you not?"

As he spoke he stretched one long. sickly white finger toward the button that Vince knew would send a jolt of magical fire through the manacles and into his body. He cringed despite himself but locked his eyes on where he assumed the other man's eyes were.

"Yeah, I'd picked up on that. You've done it more than a dozen times now."

"Surely you should be begging for your own release?"

Vince stuck out his chin in defiance.

"I'd rather you released Howard."

"We would not dream of harming Viscount Moon. He is necessary to our survival."

The man spoke with a voice that reminded Vince of the rusty metal bars on the mutants' cage back in the zoo. It made him want to be sick but he'd watched enough movies - and been on enough adventures - to know that getting the Bad Guy talking could give him the information he needed to escape.

"But why Howard? Why d'you need him of all people?"

"He is necessary!" cried one of the other cloaked figures, and several others grunted their agreement.

"Shut up!" yelled the head of the council. "_I_ am speaking the Viscount's man-wife! We must not tell him that the forces of the Great Darkness are possessing the castle and stealing our souls and that only one of Moon lineage can reseal the Three Doors of Scim because they were the ones who made the original pact with the Great Darkness for unlimited knowledge in magic, sorcery and the dark arts... Oh, shit."

"He is the Last Moon!" another cried, echoed by the chanting of the council members.

"The Last Moon. The Last Moon. The Light that rules the Darkness. The Last Moon."

"He must not know!" cried the same cloaked figure as before, who Vince was coming to think of as the Melodramatic One of the group.

"He must not know that the Viscount has the power to return all of our powers to the Realm of Scim and banish us all to the underworld and close the school down for good!"

"Shut! Up!" screeched the leader, jumping up and down in his rage. "You have told him everything!"

As one the members of the council turned back to face Vince, who they seemed to have momentarily forgotten. He gulped nervously as the long finger inched back toward the dreaded button.

"You haven't told me everything," he stuttered, playing for time before the pain returned.

"Oh, haven't we?" the head of the council sneered. "And what have we failed to tell you?"

"Well, why you're torturing me and making Howard watch, for one thing."

The council members chuckled deeply in unison and the Melodramatic One stepped forward a few paces.

"We do it because he loves you, mortal girl-boy."

"He what?" Vince squeaked, happy for the first time that there were chains to support his weight. "He'd never tell you that."

"We saw into his mind, you fool."

"Oh."

"And we saw that the only thing that would motivate him to complete this task would be the need to save you. He has many walls around his mind but they are old and weakening. Besides, his devotion to you could be read by even a novice, he broadcast it so clearly."

"The time for questions is over," the leader said harshly and the other council members shrank back, muttering.

"It is time that the Viscountess learned the punishment for seeking information."

Vince struggled, trying desperately to escape even though he knew it was useless, as the button was pressed. He screamed, and across the room he saw Howard's face in the mirror as he was alerted to and made to watch his lover's pain. There had to be some way out of this, Vince thought through the pain. He'd just have to wait until the agony ripping through him subsided before he could think of one. In the meantime he'd think of Howard.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi again. Thanks for the reviews, they're lovely and I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Hope you like this one too. Ta.**

**Oh, and I still don't own the Boosh, I checked. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

Howard wanted to hurl the crystal ball across the grimy cobble stones. He was doing his best on this hellish quest and out of nowhere he was faced with the sight of Vince being tortured again. The Hooded Council, it seemed, were now torturing him just because they could. Howard just hoped he'd have a chance to show them what an angry Howard Moon was capable of. They weren't going to get away with this, no sir.

His fingers itched but he couldn't smash the crystal, he knew. That would mean losing all contact with Vince, which would leave him alone with his imagination, and Howard knew that would be worse. Instead he fell to his knees in the dirty tunnel and once again watched while Vince struggled, suspended above the ground and exposed in a way that he knew his lover wouldn't be comfortable with, (Vince liked his clothes skin-tight but that didn't mean he liked his skin to be on show). It was more than Howard could bear, but even when he closed his eyes he could still hear the sounds of Vince's pain, almost as if they were in his own head.

_'Oh God, Howard! I'm sorry! I love you. I'm so sorry.'_

Howard's eyes snapped open. He looked at Vince, whose teeth were clenched and eyes tight shut against the fiery onslaught. He wasn't making any noise now, other than the occasional groan, and yet Howard had heard him speak.

_'Maybe... Just maybe...'_ he thought. _'Vince is pretty special, after all.'_

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the crystal ball, concentrating with all his might.

_'Vince?'_

There was a gasp within his mind before he was suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of sensation from Vince. It felt like a tidal wave hitting him in the chest but it was full of misery and pain and need.

_'Howard? Howard, is that actually you?'_

Howard gave a mental nod and focused his energy on cushioning Vince's weakening emotional resolve against the pain of his body.

_'It's me, little man. I'm so sorry. I'm here now.'_

_'I knew we were psychic! But how are we doing it?'_

_'I went to a school of sorcery. I've spent years trying to pretend I didn't but Psychic Skills was one of my best subjects.'_

_'Is that... is that why you have... have walls around your mind?'_

Howard could feel how hard it was for Vince to concentrate on their communication while his body was in such pain but was also aware that the charge of Dark Fire was probably keeping their communication hidden from the council. This might be their only chance to talk.

_'Yeah, little man. But how did you know?'_

_'They're picking your brain, Howard. Trying to read your thoughts. This is all to get you to do their bidding, Howard, so they can just carry on as before. You can't let them use you.'_

_'Who, Vince? Do you know who the Hooded Council are? Who's behind this?'_

_'They're the school council, Howard. I heard them talking. They're your teachers. But they said that you've got the power to send them to some underworld and trap all the dark power back in Scim - wherever that is - and close the school for good... Ow. Howard it hurts...'_

Howard pressed his head against the ball until he felt sure it was bruising. The school council. That figured. If he hadn't fallen for the reunion ruse they probably would have kidnapped him to get him here. They were ruthless and they hated him.

He had no idea how he could bring down the evil in this place, or defeat the tutors who had made his young life such a misery. He felt so incredibly tired. At this rate he'd never save Vince, let alone close the last door.

_'I'm so sorry, Vince.'_

_'It's not your fault, small eyes.'_

Vince's mental voice was weak and exhausted and Howard was amazed that he was still conscious after such an onslaught.

_'But I don't know what to do.'_

_'They called you the Last Moon. The Light that rules the Darkness.'_

_'But what-'_

_'You'll think of something, Howard. You've got so much to give, remember?'_

_'But-'_

_'I love you, Howard. Just so you know.'_

Howard sobbed as he felt Vince's consciousness slip away. He pulled the crystal ball back from his forehead in time to see Vince's body slump awkwardly in its chains like a puppet without a master. He fought back another sob as the ball went dark and the urge to smash the thing doubled. Instead he struggled back to his feet and kept walking.

_The Light that rules the Darkness._ Those words had been part of the family crest, had been the first words Howard had learned to read after his own name.

His name: Howard Moon. He'd been teased once that the name meant sheep herder but his mother had told him quietly that it meant Defender and that it was a name of power. He'd never really believed it, though he'd tried to live up to it when he'd been young and stupid. Now he began to wonder. Vince had said that he could bring down both the school and the dark magic that lived in it. But if he did that the school council would see and take it out on Vince again. Was it a risk he could take?

Howard stared at the golden light bobbing at his shoulder and thought back to how strong Vince seemed, even when facing humiliation and magical torture. He had to try. Vince loved him. He had to try.


	15. Chapter 15

**Enter Naboo...**

* * *

Naboo hated being summoned by the Shaman Council. He should have been _on_ the council by now, probably would have been if it weren't for that ballbag Saboo. And now they were summoning him to an emergency meeting just when he was enjoying having the flat to himself. Sure, he liked his flat mates when they weren't getting him into trouble, but they weren't his first choice. He didn't see why Dennis had insisted that he live with them and follow them from one job to another. They did seem to attract trouble of the supernatural kind but why the Shaman Council should care - or lay into him when they did - he had no idea.

"Come on, Bollo," he grumbled as he made his way through the forest. "If we're late they'll just have a go at us. As usual."

Bollo grunted in response but the sound was lost as they entered the clearing and a fully fledged shaman argument. There were fists thumping on the table and fingers being pointed and over the loud and distressed sounding voices Naboo could clearly hear the nasal twang of Tony Harrison claiming that the whole debate was an outrage and that they should already have jumped into action.

"Oh yes, and how exactly would you jump into action, you plum? You can't walk let alone jump."

"I'm very agile, I'll have you know. I have a-"

"Ah, Naboo!" Dennis interrupted, ushering Naboo into the centre of the group. "Just the man we need. Now, tell us, are those flat mates of yours well?"

Naboo looked up in confusion at such a banal question. Howard and Vince?

"They're fine I suppose," he shrugged. "Still acting all lovey dovey and making me want to puke but Bollo reckons they'll grow out of that eventually. They're at some school reunion at the moment."

The clearing went deathly silent as every member of the council turned to stare at him with wide eyes.

"I don't suppose that would be young Vincent's school, would it?" Dennis asked nervously.

"No." Naboo shook his head.

"No, of course not," Saboo sneered. "That would have been too much to ask for. The time has come. The Last Moon is facing the Great Darkness and we are all doomed."

"Don't be so dramatic, Saboo," Dennis cut in. "Kirk see no such bitter end, do you, Kirk?"

"No."

"See."

Saboo huffed and crossed his arms, looking to Naboo like a three-year-old getting ready to throw a tantrum.

"KIrk is the only known being to have faced the Scim and lived to tell of it. How can we expect Howard flaming Moon to succeed against something as overwhelming as the Great Darkness?"

Naboo frowned. He'd been happier when he was confused and annoyed but names like Scim and the Great Darkness were ones that every shaman knew and knew to fear.

"Wait," he said as forcefully as his soft voice would allow. "Are you saying that the prophesy about the Last Moon is about Howard Moon? I thought it was a metaphor."

"Of course it's about Howard Moon, you idiot!" Saboo cut in. "Which is why you were supposed to be watching him. And you can't even do that."

"I might have been able to if you'd actually told me I was supposed to be watching him, or why," Naboo countered. "How was I supposed to know he shouldn't go to some stupid school reunion, you bearded freak?"

"Yeah, well you're a short-"

"Perhaps Naboo is right," Denning yelled, stepping between the two feuding shamen. "Perhaps we should have been more open with him about our expectations but what's done is done and now we must go to the aid of the Last Moon and prevent the Great Darkness from taking over first the school and then the world. Come!"

Dennis swept from the clearing in a flurry of feathers and beads, leaving Naboo and Saboo to glare at each other as the other shamen filed past, until their staring contest was ended by a whiny voice.

"I've got me papoose ready, Saboo. Let's get this show on the road!"

Naboo grinned and left to follow the others, taking Saboo's annoyance as a small victory.

His pleasure didn't last long. All too soon the school came into view, preceded by a stain on the landscape that looked like a shadow except that there was nothing above to cause it. As they flew over the fields he could see the darkness spreading outwards. Even the moon above them, alabaster retard that he was, was silent and looked nervous.

They each downed a flagon of Shaman Juice as Dennis explained the lay-out of the school and that the Doors of Scim were likely to be hidden in the deep dungeons beneath.

"Why are the Doors of Scim hidden in a school?" Naboo muttered to himself.

KIrk looked up from his examination of an intricate magical object that looked a bit like a golden gyroscope with a funnel.

"It's a school of sorcery and dark magic," he whispered. "Every member of the Moon family has been educated there for the last seven hundred years, along with other families of the Old Aristocracy. Howard bucked the family tradition and refused to use his natural magic or take up the family seat and adopt the family title. His unique cowardly courage should be commended. If he survives this I'd quite like to shake his hand."

Naboo tried not to stare too obviously. He'd known Kirk a long time but he'd never heard the shaman talk so much in one go.

"What about Vince? He went with Howard to the school. What'll happen to him?"

Kirk shrugged.

"He'll either be killed or used as bait. It depends. Is he likely to be useful or a nuisance?"

Naboo didn't answer but Kirk gave him a look that said he understood. They sat in silence after that and soon they were circling the ancient school and preparing to land. Naboo hoped they weren't too late. He really did like Vince and Howard would be impossible to live with if his lover died a horrible death at the hands of supernatural forces because Naboo was late.


	16. Chapter 16

**Deep breath. Here we go...**

* * *

The third tunnel was by far the worst, but Howard refused to stop. He wasn't going to give the council any excuse to hurt Vince. Vince loved him, he'd said so, and Howard was not going to let him down. His magical light bobbed like a small sun behind him, making his path visible but also highlighting the deep scratch marks in the walls and the occasional charred piece of bone. Howard didn't want to think about what had happened down here in the past, he knew he wouldn't like the answer.

He had tried to steady himself against the wall at one point but had pulled his hand away with a hiss at the heat radiating from the stones. It was coming up through the floor now as well and making his feet sweat but he still pushed on because he knew he was getting close.

Aside from the heat and marks on the walls, Howard could feel the dark magic in the air. It was thick and cloying and if he thought about it too much it made him want to vomit. He was so close but he had no idea what he'd find when he got there and no real idea of how he could lock the dark power away for good in the Realm of Scim. Even thinking the words made him shiver, despite the heat. He'd learnt about Scim; every student had and every student knew to have a healthy fear of the word and the place. Scim was where the black magic came from and was the home of the Great Darkness. Every sorcerer owed a debt to the Great Darkness but even the bravest of them never wanted to meet it. Howard grinned humorlessly at the irony that he, the most cowardly of all his class, was now facing down their greatest fear. But why did it have to be him?

Maybe there was something in his name after all. Saying his name had helped him turn the keys in the first two doors after all. He still didn't have a plan but knowing that he had something, even if it was just his name, was reassuring. He'd just have to wing it and hope for the best.

He was so deep in though that he didn't realise that the tunnel had come to an end until he tripped over an ancient piece of bone and looked up to see yet another round room. The heat in here was unbearable and Howard was sweating all over. His legs stung and his wrist throbbed but he didn't stop. At the far end of the room stood the door, wide open, the doorway gaping like the giant leech's mouth or the nightmare yeti's vacant eye sockets. Perhaps the monster, whatever it would be this time, hadn't arrived yet. Then again, maybe it had but was invisible and planned to pounce on Howard's back the second he reached the door.

Howard decided to go for it anyway and lurched forward. He grasped the door and began to force it shut when suddenly a hand shot out of the darkness and landed on his own. He shrieked and tried to move but the hand held him firm.

It wasn't a big hand. It was small and soft and fair. The fingernails had a few remnants of nail varnish on them and looked like they'd been bitten. It was a hand Howard knew well, he realised with growing dread.

"You don't want to do that, Howard," came a voice from the darkness and Howard whimpered. He couldn't deal with this. Not this.

The shadows parted and the owner of the voice stepped forward, dropping Howard's hand as it backed him into the room and away from the door.

"Vince?"


	17. Chapter 17

It was Vince, standing there before him plain as day, and Howard's first instinct was to gather him up in a fierce hug, but he didn't. Because it wasn't really Vince.

The Vince of now had black hair streaked with blue and preferred skinny jeans and chelsea boots. The Vince of now was a man of twenty-eight. The Vince in front of him was dressed in a Stones t-shirt, flares and scuffed cowboy boots. His hair was blonde and scruffy and he was several inches too short. This was Vince at fourteen-years-old, when Howard had first met him. This couldn't be real, could it?

"How you doing, Howard? You alright?" the not-Vince asked cheerfully. Howard just backed away.

"You weren't gonna shut me in there were ya, Howard? Little Vince thrown into the Realm of Scim to face the Great Darkness all alone? You wouldn't do that to me, would you Howard?"

"I, umm.."

Howard continued to back away, holding the spear in front of him, though he was starting to forget why he needed it.

"I thought you liked me, Howard. In fact, you more than like me, don't you, Howard?" It chuckled. "Dirty, naughty old Howard. You were a sorcerer, one of the Old Aristocracy. You weren't supposed to lust over some mortal boy. A fourteen-year-old boy at that. Poor, sad disappointing Howard. What am I going to do with you?"

"I'm sorry, Vince," Howard mumbled, bowing his head.

"So you should be, Howard. You ruined my life. I could have been a rock star, a fashion icon, anything if it weren't for you. Instead I died, tortured and alone and exposed. Because of you."

"I'm sorry, Vince."

"You should be. You never even told me that you loved me. Really loved me as more than just your side kick or your mate."

"I'm sorry."

"It weren't easy loving you, Howard."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"And then you let me get killed because you were too slow and scared to do what you were told."

"Are you really... really dead?" Howard trembled.

"Yeah, I am."

Howard sobbed.

"Then how..."

"How am I here?" Howard nodded. "I'm your second chance, Howard. You're a sorcerer of amazing strength beneath that useless exterior. Join with me and we can be together forever. We can rule this planet and no one will be strong enough to oppose us. You just need to give yourself to me. What d'ya say, Howard?"

Vince held out his hand and Howard nearly took it. He was so close, when suddenly he stopped. How could Vince be dead? They were bonded, he would have felt Vince's death, especially now, now that he could feel the fragile psychic link between him and his soul mate. If the person in front of him was really Vince then he'd hear Howard's psychic message.

"What are you up to, Howard?" not-Vince asked, grinning, only now Howard thought he could see the malevolence behind the smile. Howard didn't respond. He just focused his thoughts on finding Vince.

_'Vince?'_

He waited for an agonising moment before sending his thoughts out again.

_'Vince? Please, Vince?'_

_'... Wha?'_

Vince's mental voice was weak but Howard was still thrilled to hear him.

_'Oh, thank God, Vince. I thought you were dead!'_

_'Nah,'_ came the exhausted reply. _'Not dead, just feel like death. Don't know if I'm even awake. Feel like I'm floating.'_

Howard bit his lip. Could Vince be dead, or close to death? Just a disembodied soul waiting for the connection with it's body to dwindle to nothing?

_'Vince, do you know where you are?'_

He felt Vince's smile through their bond and smiled sadly in return.

_'Still strapped in like a victim in a sado-masochist porno. Don't worry, small eyes. I ain't going anywhere.'_

Howard nodded. Vince was alive, if in serious need of medical help, which meant that the Vince in the room with him was not Vince at all. Which meant that the Vince in the room with him was probably, actually...

He looked up and the not-Vince grinned, it's teeth lengthening to points and it's eyes glinting an unnatural shade of red.

"Stay where you are!" Howard spoke, weaving the strongest shield he could remember how to make in the air in front of him. It probably wouldn't help at all but he had to do something.

_'Vince!'_ he thought hurriedly. _'I think things are about to go very, very wrong. I don't think I can beat this, I was too late. But, Vince, before it ends, there's something I need to tell you-'_

_'Oh no you don't, Moon!'_

The strength of Vince's response shocked Howard a little but he wasn't really surprised. Vince had always been stronger than anyone suspected.

_'But, Vince, I need to tell you-'_

_'No, Howard, you don't. I don't want to turn this into some sappy drama but you started it. I know what you want to say but I don't want to hear it.'_

_'What?'_

_'Not now. Not like this. You're gonna defeat whatever monster has come through that door and then you're coming up here to get me out of this Thing and you're going to tell me properly. To my face. That's how it's gonna go, Howard.'_

_'But, VInce-'_

_'Please, Howard?'_

And Howard could hear the pain and need in his lover's voice.

_'You're going to survive, ok? And you're going to rescue me. That's how this works: we rescue each other and when it's all over we have a joke and know that we'll always be there for each other. You will survive.'_

_'I don't know that I will.'_

_'You're Howard fucking Moon! You bloody well will! You're the Last Moon, whatever the hell that's supposed to signify, and your family started this whole pact with darkness so you should be able to end it. Just tell it to bugger off.'_

_'Right.'_

_'Damn right! And I love you.'_

_'Oh, you're allowed to say it.'_

_'Yeah,'_ Vince huffed through the psychic bond. _'Cos I know I'm gonna see you again. Now go out there and kick some dark magic ass, Howard Moon!'_

Howard looked up. The not-Vince was still watching him. It hadn't tried to get past his air shield but Howard still didn't trust it.

"Are you quite finished?" it asked in Vince's voice. "Are you ready to join me and actually make something of your life? Just think of what you could become, the power you could wield."

Howard knew it was supposed to be enticing and a few times in his life he'd wanted power and greatness and recognition but those feelings always faded quickly. The thing that Howard had really wanted was just to be loved.

"I don't want anything you can offer me," he told the creature quietly. "I just want Vince."

"But I can be your Vince, Howard. I can be your Vince before the world got to him and began to change him, began to wear away his purity. I can be young for you. I can make you young again too. What do you say?"

"No." Howard didn't hesitate. He knew who he was and who he wanted. "I just want _my_ Vince."

With a sneer the creature's shape shimmered and twisted in the air before settling onto the shape of another Vince. Beaten Vince. Howard took in the burns around his lover's wrists and ankles, the random patterns scorched into his arms and legs by the magical fire, the bruises on his chest and face. He looked over the lank black hair and skinny frame and little silver pants. Vince as he currently was.

"This?" the not-Vince spat, holding out it's arms to better show Howard the state he was in.

"You want this? This broken wretch? This brainless, annoying little mortal?"

"No," Howard replied. "Because you can't be the Vince I see. You'll never get it. You're just a beast driven by power and darkness and I've had it up to here with all of that. I've had it with you. I fell in love with a mortal; an incredible mortal. I love Vince, and I always will, and I don't need anything from you."

He wished (just a little bit) that there was someone there to clap him after that speech but there was only him and the creature and it didn't look in the mood to applaud.

"If you will not join me," it hissed, it's form wavering again before settling into something that Howard could only describe as a humanoid scaled wolf. "Then you must die!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Just a short one. More to come soon.**

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Other shaman councils had arrived from around the country (including the small Welsh contingent with Barry in the lead) and Naboo was impressed that things were actually organised and getting done. They had formed a magic circle around the school and had been pushing the shadow back toward its source, step by step. It was slow going and Naboo was starting to sweat from the effort.

As they worked, Kirk walked around them, chanting and fiddling with his golden device. As Naboo watched the childlike shaman sucked several ghosts away from the castle and into the instrument, bowing to each as it came. He caught sight of Naboo watching and gave a small smile.

"The school is full of ghosts. Some of the dead, others just the imprint of powerful emotional events. It's not a good sign. The magic has also become unstable and is ripping out the souls of the people within the school. The Great Darkness is feeding on all the pent up grief and negative emotions. It's making him stronger.

"Maybe Vince could be useful then," Naboo lisped softly. "He's made of happiness all the way down."

"No," Kirk replied, staring into the middle distance. "Vince is trapped within the dungeons. He is in great peril."

"How do you know what?"

"Vince Noir has a unique mind. He was easy to find, especially as there only appears to be ten people within the school at this time. He can provide assistance but this fight isn't his. The battle of good against evil lies with Howard Moon."

_'Well, shit,'_ Naboo thought as Kirk moved on and welcomed a whole class of ghostly children into his device. Maybe Saboo was right. Maybe they were all doomed. He concentrated his mind back on the shadow and took a forceful step forward. pleased to see the dark stain retreat. He wasn't going down without a fight.


	19. Chapter 19

**And here it is. By Bowie I hope this bit's ok.**

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It took the wolf creature three slashes of its clawed fingers to destroy Howard's shield and begin to advance across the room but Howard wasn't scared anymore. He had a plan. He may have gone to a school of sorcery but that wasn't where his skills lay, oh no, and at a time like this it was time to play to his strengths.

"Are you ready to die, little human? Are you ready to feel your blood curdle and your heart stop? Being a sorcerer makes you hard to kill by normal means but it won't be a problem for me!"

"Right, and who are you, again?" Howard asked, hiding his nervousness, as he backed up toward the tunnel.

"Who am I? How dare you! I am the Great Darkness! Master of the Realm of Scim and bestower of dark magic."

"Oh," said Howard, working hard at playing it cool. "I thought you'd be, you know, taller."

"How dare you! I am one of the most important magical beings in existence! Without me there would be no true, high magic in this world. There would be no sorcery and dark arts, only juvenile shaman magic and witch craft and those bloody druids. And because of you sorcerers I have doorways into this world. I have waited so many centuries to break into this realm. And I cannot be stopped."

"Well now, I think you can."

Howard's cheerful tone stopped the creature in its tracks. He gave his most terrifying customer service grin and leant as casually as he could on his spear.

"What do you mean, human?"

"What I mean, ole-Darkness-sonny-jim-me-lad, is that I happen to be the Last Moon."

"And? What meaning should this have for me?"

"Well, for a start, I'm the Light that rules the Darkness. I used to think it was just a family motto but now I think it means that I'm the one with the power in this little transaction. Don't you?"

The creature looked him up and down it's expression part annoyance, part fear.

"You?" it sniffed. "You are the last true Moon? Descendent of the pact maker? It cannot be."

"'Fraid so, you slimy freak. And I'm canceling our contract. We don't want your magic anymore. It's outdated. And that's coming from a man who likes jazz and tweed."

"You can't."

"I can!"

Howard took three steps forward and watched as the creature took four steps back, its eyes flashing with uncertainty. He took another step and watched as the creature's shoulder brushed the door as it took another retreating step.

"I am Howard Moon and I am ending this school's pact with the Great Darkness. May you be forgotten entirely, left to rot in Scim with no power in this world. May your doors be shut forever, locked and sealed by the Last Moon. Only one of my true blood line will have the authority to open them and my name dies with me. May this school crumble to dust and be forgotten along with these doors and your name. And may you never venture forth into this world again!"

Breathing hard Howard advanced with his spear until the creature stood on the cusp of the doorway, the gaping darkness at its back. But it wasn't giving up yet. Clasping its hands together it summoned a crackling ball of Dark Fire, grinning malevolently at Howard.

"And what power shall you summon to defeat me? Your power comes from me! Or had you forgotten?"

Dropping his spear, Howard held out his own hands. The creature hissed at the intense brightness.

"Not all of it!" he yelled as he hurled the golden ball he had originally created to light his way - now huge and pulsing - at his opponent.

It struck the creature square in the chest and it let out a shriek of pain and rage.

"That," Howard said as the Great Darkness fell through the door and out of sight. "That, I have just figured out, was a ball of magically enhanced Vince Noir sunshine. It's been feeding through our psychic link since it formed and it's a magic that can't be beat. Consider yourself banished, chicka chicka!"

With a last triumphant grin he slammed the door shut and jammed the key into the lock. The key immediately became white hot in his hand but he didn't let go.

"I am Howard Moon and I am shutting you down for good!"

He pushed his whole weight against the key and finally felt it turn. The entire door was enveloped in a golden glow that exploded outwards in burst of intense power. The walls began to shake and a deep roar rumbled from the earth below in response.

Howard darted back along the corridor as fast as his legs could manage until he found himself back where he had originally woken. Where there had once only been a blank wall he could see steps and a door and he bounded through as the tunnel's began to collapse around him. He had to find Vince. He'd promised.


	20. Chapter 20

**A brief interlude. Hope people are still enjoying it.**

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Naboo watched from a safe distance as the school began to collapse in on itself, ancient masonry tumbling to the gravel and grass below. The shadow on the land was gone, sucked back down like water through a plug hole. They'd heard the roar of Scim and felt the struggle as the Great Darkness tried and failed to retain its foothold in their realm and all around him shamen and witches were celebrating. But Naboo couldn't summon a smile.

"He did it!" Barry lilted beside him. "Did you feel that, Naboo? The Last Moon actually defeated the Great Darkness. Amazing!"

"Yeah," Naboo replied in a monotone as an entire wing of the ancient castle fell inwards with a crash. "But how's he expect to survive this? And what about Vince?" He frowned, wishing he had Kirk's ability to seek out specific minds. "They're a double act, those two, and this adventure ain't over 'til we find them."

"Right-o," Barry chirped back. "We better all muck in and find them then, hadn't we?"

With a nod the shamen began to walk toward the ruined school of sorcery.

Bollo trotted along behind them. He had a bad feeling about this.


	21. Chapter 21

**It's not the end!**

* * *

He had to keep moving, that was all Howard could remember. That and Vince. He had to keep moving to find Vince. That was all that mattered now. Pulling himself over a pile of stone and broken wooden panels he stumbled awkwardly in the direction that his mind told him to go. The school was still rumbling and he could hear crashes off to his left somewhere but he didn't care.

He came to a doorway, the door itself lying in splinters on the floor, and he stepped through. He'd found the right dungeon.

Half of the ceiling had collapsed, filling the room with debris and dust and scattered about the room were the remains of the men who had once made Howard's life a misery. He couldn't recognise any of them, but there were pieces. Against the far wall stood a large frame, its metal twisted and misshapen. There was no glass within the frame but there were tiny glittering shards embedded in the scraps of robe and flesh that he could see and the small section of his brain that was still able to process the events suggested that the frame must have once held the magic mirror and that a magical backlash must have come through it at some speed. The members of the Hooded Council had been standing too close, he supposed. He couldn't summon any emotion to feel toward them. They didn't matter. But if the magic had torn them apart so thoroughly what had it done to Vince?

He surveyed the rubble filled room but couldn't see any sign of his lover or the Fire Plate.

"Vince!" he called, but the only response was a rumbling in the walls before one collapsed outward.

They weren't underground at all it seemed. The wall collapsed to reveal the sky and much of the room's debris spilled out with it. Howard stared up and blinked slowly. His eyes felt rusty and dry after so long in the tunnels. The sun was just beginning to rise and the sky held every colour from midnight blue to pink to orange to gentle gold. Another time he might have called it beautiful but right then Howard didn't feel he had any emotions to give. Until he heard the sound.

It was a groan but it sounded sweet to Howard's ear.

"Vince?"

He loped across the broken stones, metal, wood and grass until he saw the twisted remains of the Fire Plate. The chains had been shattered and he could see pieces of them in the rubble. The plate itself had cracked down the middle. And on the plate... was Vince.

Howard knelt down quickly and moved the stones off his soul mate's legs before gathering him into his arms. He kissed his hair and his bruised forehead, wiped away the blood on his cheek, trying to be careful even though he wanted to hold him with all the strength he had left.

"Vince?" he whispered, sending the plea psychically too, even though he wasn't sure that they'd be able to communicate that way with the dark magic gone.

"Vince, please wake up? Are you in there? Because I need you to wake up. Please?"

He held Vince's hand and eventually felt it grip his own.

"Hey, Howard," Vince whispered, opening his eyes a fraction and swallowing thickly. "You did it. I knew you would. Reckon you owe me a drink."

"I owe you so much more than that, little man," Howard replied, stroking Vince's hair with his free hand.

"Vince, I have to tell you: I love you. I love you, Vince Noir. I love you in every possible way and I always will. I love the man you have grown to be and I love that you can somehow love me. God, I love you, Vince."

Vince opened his eyes wide and gazed up at Howard and then gave a small smile.

"I know, Howard. And you know I love you. Thanks for saving me."

It was Howard's turn to smile now.

"It was you and me combined that won it in the end. I couldn't have done it without you."

"The double act strikes again, huh?"

Vince grinned but it faded quickly and soon his eyes were closing.

"It hurts."

"Where does it hurt, little man?"

"Everywhere."

Howard held him close and felt his heart surge as Vince snuggled against him.

"Howard?" came the exhausted voice from near his chest.

"Yes, Vince?"

"Can I have some clothes now?"

"Of course, little man," Howard answered, his voice choking slightly. "And when we get home I'll even take you shopping. How does that sound?"

"Genius," Vince whispered sleepily. "Love you, Howard."

"Love you too, little man. I love you too."

And as Vince slipped into sleep in his arms, Howard sat and watched the sun rise. The darkness was finally over.


	22. Chapter 22

**I feel like I'm racing toward the end and I want to slow down. I'll upload this chapter now and the penultimate one tomorrow.**

* * *

Naboo hadn't been ready for what he felt when the shamen found Howard and Vince. He'd half expected to find them goofing off or hiding in a cupboard. He'd genuinely expected them to be completely unscathed, because generally that was how it went. The sight of a ragged Howard holding a bruised, burned, scarred, bleeding Vince in his arms hadn't even figured in his mind. And so he was shocked. But as the shock passed, and Diane ran forward to check for vital signs, waving her green hands and ordering the shamen around as only a witch can, Naboo had felt... emotional. Naboo didn't do emotions, not normally, and he didn't like the sensation one bit. After several long minutes of indecision he edged closer, trying not to look at the marks on Vince's skin, when he noticed that Diane was having a bit of trouble.

"I need to have a look at those legs, pet," she was whispering softly to Howard, who was shaking his head mutely in reply.

"I can tell from here that it's nasty but I can't do anything to help you unless you let me look."

Howard just shook his head again, more vigorously, and as Naboo took a few more steps forward he saw what the problem was.

"Just put him down for a minute, love. He'll be fine, I promise. But you'll be far from fine if I don't get to see those legs of yours. Please?"

Howard wouldn't let go of Vince, and Naboo didn't blame him. He didn't know what'd happened to Vince but it looked bad and he'd bet his hookah that Howard blamed himself. But there was something he could actually do to help here.

"Bollo!" he called and the old ape looked up from where he'd been shifting debris on the other side of the school. "We need you."

With Bollo at his side Naboo felt more centered and as they stepped up to Diane, Howard actually looked up.

"Howard," Naboo whispered. "I've got Bollo here. He can take Vince."

"Vince needs help. He's hurt," Howard mumbled in a dry, cracked voice. Naboo nodded.

"I know. But he'll be ok, yeah?" He turned to the witch. "He will be ok, right?"

She looked back at him, her lips pursed and her eyes swirling with too many emotions for Naboo to read.

"I've dealt with the tachycardia, that was the most pressing thing, and put him in a time bubble. He'll stay like that until we get him home and I can deal with the damage properly. It was very close. There's a lot of muscle and tissue damage, he's in shock, his organs are failing and there are broken bones to deal with as well. He's been tortured, Naboo, and then had a building fall on him, as if that wasn't enough. I'll deal with all of it when I've got him somewhere comfortable and have access to a cauldron. But I need to see Mr Moon's legs now. That looks like Scim Leech slime to me and that stuff breeds infection like you wouldn't believe. I don't want them both to lose their legs if I can help it."

Naboo paled, which was impressive for someone so naturally pale, but tried to seem unaffected when he turned back to Howard.

"Diane's put Vince in a special bubble, like an enchanted sleep. He'll be ok 'til we get home and Bollo can hold him to keep his body safe. Come on, Howard. You trust Bollo. Come on."

There was nothing for a long minute before Howard nodded and Bollo carefully took Vince into his arms, settling down beside Howard, who immediately put an arm protectively over his best friend. The gorilla's blue eyes were wet with tears and he held Vince like a fragile treasure. Which he was, to Bollo and Howard at least.

Naboo helped Diane cut away Howard's trousers to expose the oozing bite marks and summoned a magic blanket for him when the wounds were clean. He was about to go and prepare a carpet to take them back to the flat when Howard grabbed his arm with more strength than he'd been expecting.

"He wants clothes," he whispered, looking at Vince, his free hand over his lover's heart. "He doesn't like people seeing him this way. Please?"

Naboo summoned a silk robe and blanket immediately and carefully arranged them on Vince. Howard nodded.

"Thank you."

And then he too was asleep.

Diane sat on the carpet with Bollo and her two patients, and Naboo, too exhausted in body and mind to drive, directed Barry back to the flat. The rest of the shamen got on with the clean up operation and even Saboo didn't complain that Naboo hadn't stayed to help. It had been a very emotional morning.


	23. Chapter 23

**Welcome to the slow down to the finish. I didn't actually want to post this, because it means it's nearly the end. Only one chapter to go I think. So here comes the happy ending I just had to give them after all their hardships.**

* * *

"Good morning, love."

Vince jumped and grinned as the whisper tickled the skin of his ear but didn't open his eyes.

"Good morning, my lord," he whispered back.

Howard chuckled and Vince felt the mattress dip as he sat down on the bed.

"You need to stop calling me that, Vince. I'm not going to use it."

"Naw. Spoil sport."

"I made you breakfast. Sit up."

At this Vince did open his eyes and sat up with a groan. Howard was sitting by him nervously, holding a tray laden down with a delicious breakfast.

"You've got to stop doing this, Howard. You can't keep making me breakfast in bed."

"You don't want chocolate croissants, fresh juice and coffee with cream? Who are you and what have you done with Vince Noir?"

"It's not that I don't love your cooking," Vince said reassuringly, putting his hand over Howard's. "But it's been six months. You need to start letting me do things for myself, remember."

Howard's face hardened into a stubborn grimace Vince knew all too well.

"Don't be ridiculous, Vince. You only started walking again a few days ago. You aren't up to doing things on your own yet."

"I started walking - without the crutches - nearly two weeks ago actually and you still owe me a shopping trip, small eyes. Don't be trying to get out of it. I've barely left the flat in half a year, Howard!" Vince's voice rose to whine. "I'm going mad."

Howard sighed heavily and Vince relented a little, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"Hey, sweetheart, I'm sorry. How are you this morning?"

Howard shrugged but knew there was no point in hiding anything.

"Not bad... I had nightmares last night." He shuddered. "You did too based on the noises you were making when I woke up."

"Yeah," Vince replied, looking away. "But that's not anything new, is it? Sorry _you_ had a rubbish sleep though. Wanna climb back into bed?"

"Actually," Howard said slowly, a grin creeping tentatively onto his face. "I think today might be a good day to finally take you shopping. If you're up for it."

Vince squealed and wriggled about in the bed so much he nearly overturned the breakfast but settled down after Howard warned him of the danger of getting the coffee all over the sheets rather than in his tummy. Instead he slurped the coffee appreciatively and wolfed down the croissants, finishing the meal in five minutes flat and washing it down with the juice.

"Help me up, Howard. Quick," he said as soon as breakfast was done and Howard chuckled at his lover's enthusiasm.

Vince hadn't had a great deal to look forward to or enjoy in the last six months and hadn't been his usual sunshine self. It was to be expected but Howard worried that Vince was slipping into depression and he didn't want that. They'd both worked so hard and Vince had come so far, and he was right: it was time for life to get back to normal. Well, as normal as their lives had ever been. Hopefully today would help restore Vince's spark.

Vince was always at his most wobbly in the morning and leaned heavily on Howard as they walked to the bathroom. He sat on his shower chair with the same scowl he wore every day at having to use something so undignified and turned his head away as Howard washed his legs. He allowed Howard to help with the drying but then shooed him out of the room so that he could: 'Do his ablutions and hair and that' and was relieved when Howard actually agreed.

After an hour he sent out the call.

_'I'm ready, big man, well... done the best I can do in any case. Come and rescue me from my toilette and help me dress. I haven't worn proper clothes for so long I probably won't remember how to put together an outfit, let alone get my skinnies on.'_

It was funny, Howard thought, that along with all the scars and trauma they had also retained the gift of the psychic link. It shouldn't have been possible but, as Kirk had pointed out when he'd visited to check on them and shake Howard's hand, impossible things happen so often they're almost ordinary, and a link formed between soul mates couldn't be easily broken. He smiled and went to help and an hour after that they were both dressed and ready to go.

There'd been a small argument at the front door because Vince was vehemently opposed to Howard's insistence that he take his walking stick.

"Walking down the stairs to the door's exhausted you, Vince," he argued. "You won't last ten minutes without some support."

"I'll have you for support," Vince pouted, eyeing the plain, black walking stick grumpily.

"You said it was time to do things for yourself rather than me doing everything for you... You did, so take the stick."

That had ended the argument and Vince's grumblings about unfair use of logic only lasted until they were outside in the sunlight. Then the smile had been back and they'd made their slow way down the street to the markets perfectly happily - until Vince saw the crowds. There wasn't a huge number of people, it wasn't a busy day, but the markets were never quiet and there were a whole lot more people than Vince had seen in the last six months.

"I can't do it," he whispered, clutching Howard's jacket.

"Sure you can."

"No," Vince shook his head, looking pale.

_'What if people look at me?'_

Howard leaned over and kissed Vince's forehead lovingly, then took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

_'People always look at you, love. You're beautiful.'_

_'Not any more,'_ Vince thought back, looking down at his shaking hand clutching the walking stick. _'I don't want people staring at me. What if they ask about the scars? I can't hide them all. What do I say?'_

_'You say you were in an accident,' _ Howard replied simply, then gave a shrug. _'If you're worried about anyone just hide behind me and I'll start talking about Jazz until they run away.'_

Vince let out a small laugh.

"Genius," he replied out loud and squeezed Howard's hand affectionately. He turned to the markets and took a deep breath.

"Here we go then. I hope your credit card's ready for a world of pain, Moon, 'cos I need a whole new wardrobe."


	24. Chapter 24

**You have no idea how ridiculously upset I got when I realised I'd finished this story. I even toyed with the idea of splitting this chapter into two but then realised it just had to end. Now I need to find something else to write... Sigh.**

* * *

Vince hadn't been kidding about needing a whole new wardrobe. He was skinnier than ever and decided that clothes that hid as much skin as possible were the way to go. Howard was proud of him for going out and was even starting to get pleasantly exasperated by how much it was all costing when a girl stopped Vince in a goth shop to ask about the scar under his eye.

"Is that scar genuine or make-up" she asked, marching right up to them as they admired some velvet jackets.

"S'real," Vince mumbled, looking down as an embarrassed blush began to creep up his cheeks.

"Wow," the girl replied, surprising both men. "That is _so_ cool."

"It is?"

"Yeah, it's totally bad ass. Do you have any more?"

Vince blinked in confusion and Howard had to smile.

"I've got loads," he said warily, his eyebrows shooting up into his fringe when the girl leaned in, licking her lips.

"I really like guys with scars," she whispered with a wink and Howard grinned wider. Trust Vince to get hit on by a woman only two hours after panicking that he wasn't attractive anymore.

"Yeah? So does my boyfriend," Vince replied, acting casual but inwardly sounding the alarm.

Howard saw his cue and stepped up, smiling at the girl in a friendly manner.

"It figures," she said with a grin. "Still, maybe I'll see you around?"

Vince nodded and watched as the girl left before falling into Howard's waiting arms.

"You alright, little man?" he asked when the hug lasted longer than expected.

"Mm-hm," came the muffled answer.

"Feeling a bit better about the way you look now?"

Vince nodded and Howard pressed a kiss on to the top of his head.

"Come on then, let's get you that jacket. Then I have to stop off at the shop on the corner and pick something up. Should I be calling you my little bad ass now, by the way?"

Vince looked up with a cheeky smile, his tongue darting out to lick the corner of his top lip.

"Nah," he said in a husky whisper. "You can call me your Viscountess though," he winked.

Howard laughed and as Vince hobbled off to pick out half a dozen shirts, ("Cos, look Howard, the sleeves go all the way down to the tips of my fingers. Genius!") and four pairs of skinnies to go with the jacket, which he absolutely had to get in both black and red, Howard grinned.

_'Just wait, little man,'_ he thought privately. _'Just wait and see.'_

* * *

"Do we have to go to your shop, Howard?" Vince whined tiredly.

They'd been out for three hours and Vince was leaning heavily on his stick and stopping every few steps to catch his breath. Howard, who was carrying all the shopping bags, was tired too but there was no way he was going to skip this errand.

"I'm afraid so, Vince, but it's on our way home and we won't be long."

Vince groaned but continued to follow faithfully behind.

"It's not a jazz shop is it?"

"Nope."

"Or a stationary store? 'Cos I don't think I could handle that today."

"It's not a stationary store or a jazz shop or a tax office or a library. Don't worry, Vince."

"Then what is it? Howard? You know I'm rubbish at surprises."

Howard sighed.

"We're here now."

"Can I sit outside?"

Howard spun around, actually feeling a little annoyed until he saw how pale Vince looked. He was shaking and breathing rapidly and Howard wanted to kick himself for wearing him out. He smiled softly and walked back to lend Vince his arm.

"You can't wait outside but I think you'll like it in here. It's a jewelers store, lots of pretty, shiny things to look at."

Vince looked confused but walked quietly beside Howard and then followed him through the door. The jeweler came to meet them and, seeing Vince's exhaustion, ushered him to a comfortable wing backed armchair, before rushing to get Howard's order.

Howard bounced from foot to foot nervously as he watched the woman's retreating back. He hadn't told her everything but he'd needed her guidance in this and so she knew a little, mainly that Vince had been badly hurt and was still recovering. She appeared to be nearly as excited as Howard. He went to meet her at the counter when she came back, initially worried that Vince was onto him until he looked over his shoulder and saw that Vince was in fact dozing in the armchair. He turned his attention back to the small box. Perfect.

* * *

"Vince, darling," he whispered, but even being as gentle as he could, Vince woke with a jolt, breathing hard and disorientated.

"You're safe. You're safe. I'm here. It's Howard. We're in the jewelers, sweetheart. We've been shopping, remember?"

Vince looked around wild eyed but quickly calmed down as Howard continued in a soft, soothing tone. He rarely woke up disorientated in his bed anymore but if he fell asleep on the couch or in the back yard it always took him a few minutes to remember he was safe. Seeing he was calm Howard knelt down by the armchair and took Vince's hand in his.

"Vince, I have to talk to you," he said softly. "Vince, when I thought I was going to lose you, I made promises to myself."

Vince nodded but didn't speak, staring at Howard like an owl instead.

"I promised myself that I'd tell you how much I love you. And I did." Howard cleared his throat, feeling the tears threaten already. "I also promised to ask you something. I..." he coughed and tried again.

"I never wanted to be a viscount. I didn't want to be Lord Moon. I still don't. But... I'd quite like to be Lord Moon-Noir."

Vince opened his mouth but didn't speak. Howard looked over at the jeweler who nodded vigorously, her cheeks already wet with tears. He continued.

"I did some research and, well, I still keep the title even if I join my name with yours and... Vince, would you be my... my Viscountess? My spouse? My husband? My..."

"Yes." Vince's voice was soft and rough, but the look in his eye was intense and strong. "I'd like that a lot, yeah."

That was all Howard needed. He scooped Vince up in his arms, laughing breathlessly as he spun him around and then together they collapsed back into the armchair, Vince snuggled on his lap. He took the ring box out of his pocket and held it out to his fiancé. Vince opened it carefully and Howard felt his heart melt as a tear rolled slowly down Vince's cheek as he examined the matching engagement rings. Each had a single dark sapphire and single white diamond, the light and the dark together.

"I love you," Vince whispered, sending that love directly through their link as he slipped one ring on his finger and the other onto Howard's.

They kissed softly and slowly and Howard felt a very different kind of magic fill him. What Howard Moon had always wanted, more than fame or riches or even an ordinary life, was to be loved, and now he had so much to give and so, so much to live for.

The End.

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**Thank you to the people who read and reviewed this story. Castie67, you kept me going, thank you. I'll be back soon with something else, but now I need a bubble bath. Ta-ra.**


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